Incel subculture’s rise as a dangerous, misogynistic extremist threat across Europe, linking online rhetoric to real-world violence.
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The article discusses the dangerous “incel” subculture, which is a radical and misogynistic segment of the broader “manosphere.” These individuals often view women solely as sexual objects and express extreme views online, sometimes glorifying violence or referencing Nazism. While the term gained international attention following Netflix’s series “Adolescence,” it represents a growing concern in Europe. A case involving Timothy G., who was arrested in France for conspiracy related to terrorism after making public threats against women on TikTok, highlighted this issue as one of the first cases prosecuted based solely on incel-inspired misogyny in France. Research indicates that while the phenomenon is observed across Europe, it has not been deeply studied; a 2021 study found most participants were from Germany, followed by the UK and Sweden, with Greek users ranking last. In Greece, organized domestic digital communities are scarce, though related “manosphere” rhetoric exists online. The article also details how this ideology is often disguised as non-political content (e.g., gaming or dating tutorials) but is fundamentally political. Europol describes incel rhetoric as an alarming part of violent extremism in Europe, noting that radicalization is moving from online discourse to physical acts of violence. Studies suggest the core of the incel identity is a sense of exclusion and rejection by women, which they attribute to societal structures or feminism. Specific examples are provided for France (where incidents linked to incels/MGTOW have occurred), Italy (citing a case where an individual planned violence due to not having a partner), and Spain (where their rhetoric has been adopted by some far-right elements).
