A recent survey conducted by the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) found that despite the numerous crises faced by Germany, including Covid-19, the Ukraine conflict, and high inflation, trust in democracy has slightly increased. However, a new representative survey by Forsa on behalf of RTL/ntv reveals that the majority of Germans view all political parties as incompetent. Over half of Germans (57%) believe that neither the government nor the opposition parties can handle the country’s crises. The survey also found that Germans view the Union parties as the most politically competent, with 12% of respondents holding this view. The SPD (10%), Greens (8%), and AfD (8%) received lower levels of trust, while the FDP received the lowest level of trust, with only 3% of respondents believing the party can solve Germany’s problems.
The survey results indicate that voter skepticism towards all political parties remains consistent. Even Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) did not fare well in the survey, with over two-thirds (68%) of respondents expressing little or no trust in him. Notably, 99% of AfD supporters expressed their disapproval of Scholz, while 89% of FDP supporters also expressed little or no trust in him. Although the CDU performed relatively well in the survey, there is significant dissatisfaction among voters with the performance of party leader Friedrich Merz as opposition leader. 65% of respondents were critical of his role, with even a slim majority (51%) of Union supporters expressing dissatisfaction with the 67-year-old party leader’s performance.
The survey highlights the widespread lack of trust in political parties and leaders in Germany, despite the slight increase in trust in democracy overall. It remains to be seen how this will impact the upcoming federal election and the country’s ability to address its ongoing crises.
