Germans’ democracy satisfaction falls to one-third

Germans’ satisfaction with democracy fell to one-third in a University of Leipzig authoritarianism study presented in Berlin on Nov. 11, based on questionnaires from more than 900 respondents.

The contrast with broad support for democracy as an idea was stark: 89.3% still backed it in principle, the first reading below 90% since the study series began in 2002.

The biennial study, led by the Else Frenkel-Brunswik Institute for Democracy Research at the University of Leipzig, has tracked authoritarian attitudes since 2002. Researchers said the respondents were a representative cross-section of Germany’s population.

“Our democracy is under great pressure. It has lost acceptance among the general population. It is alarming how much an authoritarian yearning is taking its place,” said Oliver Decker, a social psychologist and study author.

The decline was sharper when respondents were asked about democracy as they experience it in daily life. Satisfaction stood at 22.8% in the former East Germany and 36% in the West, according to the study.

The survey also found support for authoritarian nationalist ideas. A total of 22.3% of respondents backed a “single strong party” embodying the national community, rising to 30.9% in eastern Germany.

The findings come as Germany debates the strength of its political institutions and the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany. The study said a large share of eligible voters who showed a yearning for catastrophe preferred the AfD, and linked that orientation to higher antisemitic sentiment.

“Through its violent rhetoric, the AfD promises to realize the political goals of far-right ideology,” the study said. It added that the party offers “a political home to those who adhere to far-right thinking” while presenting itself as able to reach a wider segment of society.

The study said far-right attitudes rose for a second consecutive year. Approval of what researchers called chauvinistic national pride reached 19.9%, the highest level since the series began, while 6.9% of respondents had a consistently far-right worldview, the highest since 2014.

Nearly 15% of respondents agreed that “everything has to fall apart so that something new can emerge.” Almost one in three said something radical was needed for conditions to change, while another 29.1% agreed with that view to some extent.

Johannes Kiess, a co-author, called for democratic countermeasures. “The rejection of the present state of the world must be countered with compelling democratic alternatives and the ability to take political action today,” he said.

The study said antisemitism had more than doubled since 2022. It found that 16% of respondents cited Israeli government policy as the decisive factor behind antisemitic attitudes, a record high for the long-running survey.

Hostility toward Muslims rose to 34.1%, after peaking above 40% in 2018 and later falling well below 30%. Anti-feminist views were recorded at 18.3%, with the eastern German figure halving from 34.6% in 2024 to 17.8%.

The authors said earlier waves of the study had also recorded high approval for far-right statements that later declined, adding that societal crises, political action and public perceptions of politics were central to whether the trend reverses.