The Russian invasion of Ukraine led the German government to radically change its policies.
On Sunday, February 27, center-left Social Democrat (SPD) Chancellor Olaf Soltz announced arms exports to Ukraine, a dramatic increase in defense spending and his country’s support for tougher sanctions against Russia, which is the main supplier. of Germany. and coal.
The infratest polling institute conducted a telephone and online survey of 1,320 eligible voters across Germany from February 28 to March 2 and found that 53% of respondents rated the German government’s harsh response as appropriate. For 27%, it is not enough. 14%, on the other hand, say they go too far.
Refugees, economy and Bundeswehr
The majority – even those who support the anti-immigrant far-right populist party Alternative for Germany (AfD) – are in favor of accepting refugees from Ukraine from Germany: 91% agree that this is fundamentally right.
For decades, German governments have pursued a strict policy of not sending weapons to crisis areas. Berlin initially refused to provide military assistance to Ukraine in the current crisis – it has now given the green light. Attitudes towards arms deliveries have changed dramatically: In February, only 20% of voters polled were in favor. this percentage has now risen to 61%. And 45% believe that the Berlin turn came too late.
The planned financial support for the German Armed Forces, the Bundeswehr, has also been approved. A one-off investment of 100 billion euros (1.2 billion) and an increase in the military budget to meet NATO’s commitment of 2% of GDP have been announced – to the satisfaction of many.
NATO itself seems to have grown in popularity during the current crisis: 83% of respondents stressed the importance of the Transatlantic Defense Alliance for peace in Europe.
The majority of respondents were critical of Germany’s friendly and trade policies toward Russia in recent decades: 68% said Berlin was very lenient with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Six out of ten respondents support Ukraine’s long-term accession to the European Union. But pessimism prevails: Three in four respondents expect Ukraine to be fully occupied by Russia.
The general feeling is gloomy: Nine out of ten respondents said they were very worried. In the summer of 2014, on the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War I, three out of ten Germans feared a new major war on the continent. Now, seven out of ten are worried that other countries could be attacked by Russia.
Most of those polled in the monthly poll said they knew Germany would not come out unscathed: 64% feared a worsening of Germany’s economic situation, 66% feared gas and energy supply cuts. Half of those polled doubt that the sanctions will have any impact on Russia’s current course. However, most Germans support the sanctions.
Russia is at the bottom of the list of countries that respondents rate as reliable partners – behind China. The US, meanwhile, sees a ten-year high.
The new federal governing coalition of the SPD, the Greens and the neo-liberal FDP – which was not even in power for 100 days – was able to regain confidence, having lost significant support earlier this year. A month ago only 38% said they were satisfied with the government, now the percentage is 56%.
Overall, Germany’s ruling politicians scored well: 56% said they were satisfied with Chancellor Olaf Solz’s work, up 13% from last month.
Green Party Foreign Minister Annalena Bayerbok has made significant gains and now has a 50% approval rating. FDP Finance Minister Christian Lindner, Green Party Economy Minister and Vice Chancellor Robert Hubbek rose seven percent to eight percent – to 49 percent and 47 percent, respectively.
However, if federal elections are held tomorrow, the center-right opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU) parties are likely to win.
This article was originally written in German.
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