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Germany news: Only 1/3 of Germans satisfied with state of democracy
Only a third of people surveyed in Germany are satisfied with how democracy is functioning, the lowest share since the Leipzig Authoritarianism Study began in 2002. The decline comes despite broad support for democracy as a principle, and the findings also show substantial agreement with chauvinistic and antisemitic statements.
Researchers surveyed 2,500 people between mid-March and early June. Satisfaction fell from 42.3% in 2024 to about one third overall, and from 29.7% to 22.8% in the former East German states; 89.3% supported the concept of democracy, its first time below 90%. The study also found manifest agreement with statements that Germany is being overrun by foreigners (34.9%) and that Jewish influence is too great (15.5%), with further respondents expressing latent agreement.
In short
- Democracy satisfaction fell to a record low in Germany.
- Only 22.8% in the former East German states were satisfied.
- The study found notable agreement with chauvinistic and antisemitic views.
Explained simply
Germany is a federal parliamentary republic, with elected representatives making laws and a chancellor leading the government. The country was divided into East and West Germany during the Cold War and reunited in 1990; differences between the former eastern and western states remain part of public debate.
The Leipzig Authoritarianism Study is a recurring survey of people in Germany that examines political attitudes, including views on democracy and minority groups. Supporting democracy as an idea is different from being satisfied with how it works in practice, so the two measures can move apart.
The findings matter because they offer a picture of public confidence in Germany’s political system and attitudes towards people seen as outsiders. They also provide researchers with a way to compare these views over time and between regions.
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