A clear majority of Germans are in favor of cutting back on the citizen’s income introduced by the Ampel coalition. According to the Deutschlandtrend survey, 54% of respondents believe that the debt brake, a key principle of Finance Minister and FDP leader Christian Lindner, should be maintained, while only 40% support easing it. Additionally, 56% of those surveyed support spending less on the citizen’s income as proposed by the FDP. This position on cutting back on the citizen’s income is significant as it is the only cost-saving measure that a majority of respondents agree on.
The survey also showed that 47% of respondents are in favor of spending less on the integration of refugees, while only 1% support cutting spending on the care of elderly and sick people. The majority of respondents believe that more funds should be allocated to areas such as pensions, support for families and children, and the care of elderly and sick people. This indicates limited support for cost-cutting measures proposed by the FDP, particularly in the areas of children’s basic income and pension concepts put forward by other parties.
In terms of political preferences, the FDP has seen a slight increase in support in the Sunday poll for the Bundestag election, but remains at 5%. The Union party has also seen a minor increase to 31%, while the SPD and Greens hold steady at 15% and the BSW at 5%. The AfD remains at 18%, below its potential of 23%. Despite reports of potential involvement of AfD European election candidates in espionage activities, the majority of AfD supporters view the public scrutiny as exaggerated and are less inclined to reconsider the party’s relationship with Russia and China.
In contrast to the AfD, supporters of other parties have a greater interest in European affairs, potentially indicating a mobilization challenge for the AfD in the upcoming European elections. The survey for the Deutschlandtrend on national political sentiment was conducted by Infratest Dimap for the ARD-“Tagesthemen” and WELT, polling 1280 eligible voters aged 18 and over. The survey on European political sentiment was also conducted by Infratest Dimap for the ARD-“Tagesthemen” and WELT, polling 1323 eligible voters aged 16 and over.
Overall, the survey highlights the support for fiscal responsibility and cutting back on certain social welfare programs among Germans, particularly in the context of the ongoing budget negotiations within the Ampel coalition. The differing perspectives of various political parties and their supporters on spending priorities and European politics offer insights into the current political landscape in Germany leading up to the upcoming elections.
