Europe Calling “Social work and the far right in European democracies – What is happening at present, and how is the social work sector responding?” Insights from the tri-national research project SoFRiED
Dear friends,
Across Europe, far-right parties are gaining influence and power. This is not merely a political shift; it is already having an impact on day-to-day social work, from funding priorities and institutional frameworks to professional values and relationships with service users. In a context shaped by racist and exclusionary ideologies, professional standards are being called into question across the board.
What does this mean in practice? How do social workers, organizations, and associations respond?
This Europe Calling webinar presents initial findings from the SoFRiED research project, which examines the impact of far-right politics on social work in Germany, Austria, and Hungary. Based on empirical research, we will explore the following points:
- how far-right discourses and policies shape the structures and practices of social work;
- the challenges faced by professionals and organizations;
- the strategies developed to defend professional ethics, human rights, and democratic values.
We will also discuss examples from the three countries and invite participants to reflect on their own experiences and contexts.
Speakers:
- Prof. Dr. Júlia Wéber, Project Leader of the SoFRiED research network and Professor of Migration Society and Democracy Education at the Department of Social Work, Education, and Childhood Studies at Neubrandenburg University of Applied Sciences.
- Prof. Dr. Christine Krüger, Professor of Social Sciences and Qualitative Social Research at Neubrandenburg University of Applied Sciences, Department of Social Work, Education, and Childhood Studies.
- Mag. Christoph Omann, Researcher and Lecturer in the Department of Social Work at St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences.
- M.Sc. Viktória Borda, Assistant Research Fellow and Deputy Head of the Department of Community and Social Studies at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Pécs.
- Prof. Dr. habil. István Sziklai, Social Policy Expert and Academic, Extraordinary Professor at the Faculty of Social Sciences at Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) and Head of the Chair of Social Policy.
Moderation:
- Eric Mülling, Political Scientist specializing in democracy, anti-democratic trends, and far-right influences on social work
- Amélie Pasmanns, Europe Calling
When? 12.05.2026, 18:30 – 20:30 CEST
Register here: https://t1p.de/boj6m
The webinar will be simultaneously translated into German and English.
More information about SoFRiED: https://www.hs-nb.de/en/sofried-social-work-an-the-far-right-in-european-democracies/