Björn Höcke's Podcast Appearance Draws 3.5 Million Views

Björn Höcke, a prominent figure of the German far-right, appeared on the podcast "Ungeskriptet" hosted by Ben Berndt. The episode garnered 3.5 million views on YouTube within days, with additional podcast downloads likely reaching similar numbers. The format, which previously featured Hells Angels and niche topics like dietary advice and psychological explorations, is promoted by Berndt as a "Switzerland of the podcast world" for fringe voices. The episode lasted four and a half hours without any critical questions posed to Höcke. The success is attributed not to political content but to the specific atmosphere created by the host, who models his approach after Joe Rogan. The article notes that even Gregor Gysi, a left-wing politician, has appeared on the same podcast. The phenomenon raises concerns about the lack of a "firewall" against extremist content in certain media formats.