Democracy study: One-quarter of Germans want a right-wing authoritarian dictatorship

Satisfaction with democracy in Germany has hit a new low, while the past is being idealized, and people are expressing a longing for a radical break. The longing for an authoritarian leader and antisemitic sentiments are also on the rise. These are key findings of the authoritarianism study presented Wednesday in Berlin, which has been conducted every two years since 2002.

The study, led by the Else Frenkel-Brunswik Institute for Democracy Research at the University of Leipzig, is based on the answers to a questionnaire sent in by over 900 respondents, who the researchers say are a representative cross-section of the German population.

For the first time since the study series began, approval of democracy as an idea fell just below the 90% mark, which, the study said, is primarily attributable to a loss of trust among respondents in the former East Germany (85.7%). The decline in approval of democracy as experienced in everyday life is even more severe: Nationwide, only one-third are satisfied with democracy, with figures having fallen sharply in both the East (22.8%) and the West (36%).

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'Our democracy is under great pressure'

The growing rejection of democracy is also reflected in the desire for some kind of authoritarian nationalist government: Just under a quarter of respondents explicitly supported the idea of a "single strong party that embodies the national community as a whole." In the east, the figure stands at 30.9%, above the Germany-wide average of 22.3%.

"Our democracy is under great pressure. It has lost acceptance among the general population. It is alarming how much an authoritarian yearning is taking its place," concluded social psychologist and study author Oliver Decker.

Nationalism reaches record high

Far-right attitudes have risen for the second consecutive year. Of particular note in the study was what the researchers called a chauvinistic national pride, which, with 19.9% approval, has reached its highest level since the study series began. The proportion of people with a consistently far-right worldview has reached 6.9%, the highest level since 2014, the study found.

Just under 15% of respondents said they explicitly believe that "everything has to fall apart so that something new can emerge," while nearly one in three respondents believes that "something radical is needed for the current state of affairs to change." Another 29.1% agree with this to some extent.

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Connection between far right and AfD

According to the study, those who share this yearning for catastrophe exhibit significantly more antisemitic sentiments, both things linked to a preference for certain political parties. The study found that a large proportion of eligible voters with this orientation favor the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). 

"Through its violent rhetoric, the AfD promises to realize the political goals of far-right ideology," the study said. The party's form and content, in other words, correspond exactly to the message that a significant portion of the population wants to hear. "It offers a political home to those who adhere to far-right thinking, while at the same time presenting itself as capable of connecting with a broad segment of society."

Antisemitic attitudes doubled

Study co-author Johannes Kiess calls on political leaders at all levels to find countermeasures. "The rejection of the present state of the world must be countered with compelling democratic alternatives and the ability to take political action today," he said. This also applies to the significant rise in antisemitism, which has more than doubled since 2022.

When asked about the motives behind antisemitic attitudes, the results show that for 16 percent of respondents, the policies of the Israeli government are the decisive factor. This, too, is a record high in the context of the long-term study. While the figure in 2020 was significantly higher in the east (12%) than in the west (8.4%), the figures have since converged. Antisemitism related to Israel is actually slightly stronger in the West than in the East.

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Hostility toward Muslims is also on the rise

Hostility toward Muslims is also on the rise. It peaked at over 40% in 2018, before dropping to well below 30%, and currently stands at 34.1%. These figures are based on two statements respondents were asked to agree with in each survey: "Muslims should be prohibited from immigrating to Germany" and "because of the many Muslims here, I sometimes feel like a stranger in my own country."

Misogyny is another issue regularly surveyed in the study. In the current survey, 18.3% agreed with anti-feminist statements. Notably, until now, a higher proportion of East Germans had been opposed to feminist causes. As recently as 2024, the difference between the East (34.6%) and the West (19.6%) was enormous. Two years later, the figure in the East has halved to 17.8%, while in western Germany it has fallen only slightly to 18.4%.

A glimmer of hope 

Despite the negative trend, there is a glimmer of hope at the end of the Leipzig Authoritarianism Study: While the results are "alarming," long-term trends show that a reversal of this trend is possible: "In earlier surveys, far-right statements already achieved high approval ratings, which then declined again in subsequent years. In addition to the influence of societal crises, political action and its societal perception are of central importance."

This article was originally written in German.