This article presents a comparative analysis of how European democracies address the paradox of tolerance. States have formulated various responses to political radicalism, in particular right-wing radicalism. Scholars have explained these variations by the differences in their authoritarian pasts. However, a wide array of policy actors with different perceptions and interests are involved in the regulation of right-wing radicalism. Their impact on implemented policy measures needs to be assessed to better understand what drives the politics of democratic defense in liberal democracies. Relying on grey literature, administrative reports and semi-structured interviews conducted between 2013 and 2017 in France and Germany among a range of policy actors responding to right-wing radicalism, I identify two key factors to explain the regulation of right-wing radicalism. This article demonstrates that the historical framing of right-wing radicalism and the national specificities in policymaking need to be explored if we are to understand the regulation dynamics of right-wing radicalism. By contrast, the radical right’s structure is of secondary importance in explaining how liberal democracies address the paradox of tolerance. These results advocate for the systematic use of policy tools in analyzing the politics of democratic defense.