Thuringia Monitor shows mood: every second Thuringian dissatisfied with democracy

Thuringia monitor shows mood
Every second Thuringian dissatisfied with democracy

Every year, Thuringian researchers ask about the state of affairs in the Free State. Rarely has dissatisfaction with politics been greater. Not even one in six trusts the federal government. The state government also loses massively. And even if right-wing extremist attitudes have not increased, new right-wing positions are spreading.

According to a study, the majority of the population in Thuringia is dissatisfied with democracy. According to that Thuringia Monitor 2022 satisfaction with democracy fell by 17 points to just 48 percent over the year. This marks the strongest decline in more than 20 years. Just two years ago, almost two-thirds of those surveyed were satisfied “with democracy as it works in practice in Germany.”

According to the survey, a similar picture emerges when it comes to trust in politics. Trust in the federal government fell for the second year in a row and fell by 15 percentage points to currently 22 percent – this is the lowest level of trust in 16 years. Only 40 percent of those surveyed now trusted the Thuringian state government compared to 53 percent in 2020.

In rural areas in particular, approval ratings are significantly lower and thus at a worrying level, the study said. Attitudes that endanger democracy, such as right-wing extremism and populism, are also more prevalent in rural areas than in the cities. Likewise, the feeling of being disadvantaged in rural areas is even more pronounced.

The researchers state “that support for the political system with its institutions and actors has come under pressure in the past year”. At the same time, however, they point out that “trust in non-political institutions (especially courts) and in mayors as important local actors has not fallen”.

Questioning in times of crisis

A total of twelve percent of Thuringians have right-wing extremist attitudes. The value is about as high as in the previous year at eleven percent and remains at the lowest level since measurements began in 2001. However, the decline that was noticeable during the corona pandemic has stopped. At the same time, a significant part of the population shares new right-wing positions. 61 percent agree with the statement: “It’s time to resist current politics.” That is 37 percentage points more than in the previous year.

For the current survey, 1885 Thuringians who were eligible to vote were interviewed last autumn. At this time, the energy crisis and energy price shock as well as the highest inflation for more than 70 years shaped the public debate. The Thuringia Monitor is surveyed annually by researchers at Jena University on behalf of the State Chancellery.

A new state parliament will be elected in Thuringia next year. A red-red-green state government is currently governing under Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow from the left. It has no parliamentary majority. The AfD is currently ahead in polls.

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