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Satisfaction with democracy in Germany has reached a new low while longings for a radical break and an authoritarian leader are increasing. These findings come from the latest authoritarianism study presented in Berlin by the Else Frenkel-Brunswik Institute for Democracy Research at the University of Leipzig, which has surveyed a representative cross-section of the German population every two years since 2002.
Decline in Support for Democracy
For the first time since the research began, approval of democracy as an idea dipped just below the 90% mark. Researchers reported this decline is primarily driven by falling trust in the former East Germany, where approval stands at 85.7%. Everyday satisfaction with democracy has dropped more severely, with only one-third of respondents nationwide satisfied, dropping to 22.8% in the East and 36% in the West.
Support for an authoritarian nationalist government has also grown. Just under a quarter of respondents explicitly backed a single strong party embodying the national community, with eastern regions reaching 30.9% compared to the 22.3% national average. Social psychologist and study author Oliver Decker stated, as reported by Deutsche Welle: DW.com, that their democracy faces great pressure, has lost popular acceptance, and is seeing alarming authoritarian yearning.
Rise of Far-Right Attitudes and Nationalism
Far-right views increased for the second consecutive year, featuring chauvinistic national pride at a record 19.9% approval. Consistently far-right worldviews reached 6.9%, marking the highest level recorded since 2014. Additionally, nearly 15% of respondents believe everything must collapse for something new to emerge, while roughly one-third feel radical changes are needed for current affairs.
The study linked this yearning for catastrophe and antisemitic sentiments to preferences for specific political parties, noting that many voters with this orientation support the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). Researchers stated that the AfD offers a political home to far-right adherents while presenting itself as capable of connecting with broader society through its rhetoric.
Surge in Antisemitism and Prejudice
Study co-author Johannes Kiess urged political leaders to counter this trend with compelling democratic alternatives and political action. Antisemitic attitudes have more than doubled since 2022, while 16% of respondents cited Israeli government policies as the decisive factor behind their antisemitic views, reaching a record high for the long-term study.
Hostility toward Muslims has similarly climbed to 34.1%, measured by agreement with statements opposing Muslim immigration and feeling alienated in the country. Meanwhile, anti-feminist statements received 18.3% agreement. While East Germans previously showed much higher opposition to feminist causes, eastern and western figures have now converged around 18%.
Despite these alarming results, researchers noted that long-term trends show a potential for reversal, pointing out that far-right statements have reached high approval in earlier surveys before declining due to political action and societal perception.
