Survey in Germany: Europe, defense, autocracies important tasks

Berlin (dpa) – For more than half of the citizens in Germany, strengthening European cohesion remains the most important foreign policy task of the federal government. This priority is mentioned by 54 percent in a representative survey conducted by the opinion research institute Forsa for the magazine “Internationale Politik” – and thus by far the most frequently among the various tasks of the government. That was three percentage points less than in a comparable survey in February.

According to the survey, an expansion of support for Ukraine, at seven percent, has the lowest priority among citizens – in February, 17 percent had still named this point.

In second place, with 37 percent, is the priority of increasing Germany’s defense capability. In third place, with 28 percent, is limiting the influence of authoritarian states. Global efforts for more climate protection fall back to fourth place with 23 percent (previously 26 percent). Strengthening relations with countries of the Global South such as India, Brazil or the states of Africa is mentioned by an almost unchanged 20 percent.

According to the survey, increasing defense readiness and especially limiting the influence of authoritarian states has a significantly higher priority for West Germans than for East Germans. In contrast, only ten percent of 14- to 29-year-olds see strengthening defense capability as an important task. For younger people, global efforts for more climate protection are significantly more important than for those over 30.

For the survey, Forsa interviewed 1,005 people on December 3 and 4. (December 29)