German Study Finds Declining Democracy Support, Rising Extremism
Translated & summarized from Jüdische Allgemeine by baba
A new Leipzig Authoritarianism Study shows democracy support in Germany has dropped below 90% for the first time, with a sharp decline in East Germany. Antisemitic attitudes, particularly Israel-related antisemitism, have reached a record high of 16%. Far-right extremist worldviews have also increased to 6.9%, with higher rates in East Germany. The study surveyed 2,507 participants and was conducted in cooperation with the Heinrich Böll Foundation and the Otto Brenner Foundation.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Democracy support in Germany has fallen below 90% for the first time since 2002.
- Israel-related antisemitism has reached an all-time high of 16% nationwide.
- Far-right extremist worldviews are at their highest level since 2012, at 6.9%.
- East Germany shows significantly lower support for democracy and higher rates of extremism.
- The study surveyed 2,507 participants aged 16 and over.
- "Regressive nostalgia" was identified in 15% of respondents, more common in certain demographics.
Support for democracy in Germany has fallen below 90% for the first time since 2002, according to the latest Leipzig Authoritarianism Study. The decline is primarily attributed to a significant drop in East Germany, where support fell from 94.6% in 2024 to 85.7%, while the West saw a slight increase. The study, conducted every two years through representative surveys, also reveals a rise in antisemitic attitudes, with Israel-related antisemitism reaching an all-time high of 16%. Researchers found no significant East-West difference in this specific form of antisemitism, unlike in previous studies. For example, 60% of respondents agreed with the statement "The German guilt complex hinders the Palestinians' struggle for freedom," and 41% agreed that Israel was founded solely to alleviate European guilt.
However, differences between East and West Germany were noted regarding "guilt-deflecting antisemitism," which involves downplaying German suffering during WWII. Nearly 31% of all respondents agreed with statements related to this, but the figure rose to 38% in East Germany. The study also indicates a resurgence in far-right extremist worldviews, with 6.9% of the population holding such views nationwide, a level not seen since 2012. This figure is higher in East Germany (8.5%) compared to West Germany (6.5%).
The research, which surveyed 2,507 participants aged 16 and over with sufficient German language skills between March 16 and June 3, was conducted in cooperation with the Heinrich Böll Foundation and the Otto Brenner Foundation. It identified "regressive nostalgia", a construction of political opposition between an idealized past and a corrupt present, in 15% of respondents. This form of nostalgia was found to be significantly more common among older individuals, those with lower incomes, East Germans, and those without a high school diploma compared to younger, West German, and more educated or affluent individuals. The study also noted gender disparities, with 5.6% of men expressing support for an authoritarian dictatorship compared to 3% of women, and chauvinistic beliefs being more prevalent among men (22%) than women (18%).