Shortly before Christmas, members of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) received an invitation to an elite global gathering.

Politicians speak of “mutual concessions” as a path to peace. Intelligence asserts: such compromises are not peace, but a pause before a new war and a higher price.

But its spread from the extremist fringe towards the mainstream illustrates how far-right groups are extending their influence in democracies. It also presents the afd, which leads some opinion polls, ...