Around the world, autocracies are growing, populists are gaining ground and democratic societies are under strain. Wars, inflation and fears of economic decline have increased uncertainty.
The Germany-Monitor 2025 finds that most Germans endorse democracy and that support has grown, particularly in the east, the Federal Government Commissioner for Eastern Germany, Elisabeth Kaiser, said in Berlin. Kaiser, an SPD lawmaker, called broad backing for democracy “a good thing — even in the east.”
The study surveyed 4,000 people aged 16 and over across Germany from spring 2025 to September. It was carried out by the Center for Social Studies in Halle, the University of Jena and the Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences (GESIS), and is funded by the Federal Commissioner for Eastern Germany.
While 98% of respondents said they believe in the idea of democracy, only 60% think it is currently functioning well. The survey also revealed gaps in basic procedural knowledge: only 68% correctly identified that democracy requires the government to follow parliamentary decisions and respect separation of powers.
Researchers flagged a notable openness to authoritarian options: 21% were assessed as receptive to authoritarian rule. The study’s authors caution that high overall support for democracy does not mean no one favors an autocratic transformation. Nationwide, 31% agreed with the statement “What Germany needs now is a single strong party that embodies the will of the people as a whole.” In the eastern states of the former GDR that share rose to 35%. Yet just 4% said they would agree that “under certain circumstances, a dictatorship is the better form of government.”
A major shift noted by participants concerns defense. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly four years ago, public debate in Germany has turned to beefing up the Bundeswehr, rearmament and even reintroducing conscription. More recently, worries have grown that the US might not reliably provide military support under former President Donald Trump.
Sociologist Reinhard Pollak of Mannheim, who led the research team, summarized the findings: about a quarter of the population wants change, another quarter fears change is too fast or too extensive, and the broad middle is ambivalent, saying “it depends.” He said researchers were surprised by how clear the patterns were and that people are not, overall, simply tired of change.
On immigration, Germans show a nuanced stance. A clear majority (68%) support actively recruiting skilled workers from abroad, and 59% think the state should do more to promote immigrant integration. Still, 28% believe the post-2015 rise in immigration has caused many negative changes — a level of concern comparable to nationwide support for the populist far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which emphasizes anti-immigration policies.
The study highlights an East-West divide. In western Germany, optimism and openness to change do not track with local economic conditions. In the east, however, residents of less affluent areas are more skeptical of the state and its institutions. Views on German reunification also differ: in the west about 55% see reunification positively; in the east approval ranges from 72% in economically stronger, mainly urban areas, down to 49% in disadvantaged regions.
This article was originally published in German.
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