ARD Germany trend: majority is against nuclear phase-out

The last three German nuclear power plants will go offline on Saturday. In the Germany trend for that ARD morning magazine the majority of those questioned speak out against the nuclear phase-out – only the young are more in favor of it.

A majority of citizens who are entitled to vote in Germany speak out against the nuclear phase-out, which will be completed on Saturday with the shutdown of the last three nuclear power plants. Six out of ten respondents (59 percent) in the current DeutschlandTrend for the ARD morning magazine consider the political decision to be wrong, only a third (34 percent) think it was right.

It was different 12 years ago. In June 2011, around three months after the Fukushima disaster, when asked whether the quick decision to phase out nuclear power was the right one, 54 percent of those surveyed in the GermanyTrend Yes, 43 percent took the opposite view.

Only Greens and SPD voters are in favor of phasing out nuclear power

At the present time, only the 18 to 34 age group (50 to 39 percent) is more supportive of the end of nuclear power, while rejection predominates in the middle and older age group.

The turning point after more than six decades of nuclear energy in Germany is viewed differently by the supporters of the parties. While supporters of the Greens (82 percent) and the SPD (56 percent) welcome the end of nuclear energy, supporters of the Union parties (83 percent) and AfD (81 percent) are opposed by a large majority, while those of the FDP (65 percent ) also vote against an exit by a majority.

Worried about rising energy prices

The majority of those surveyed have major concerns that the turn towards more climate-friendly energy will also result in further increases in energy prices. Two out of three respondents across all age and demographic groups are very concerned (26 percent) or very much (40 percent) about an increase in energy prices. Only a third worry little (25 percent) or not at all (seven percent).

In addition, it is only the supporters of the Greens who, for the most part, see no reason to fear rising energy prices in the energy transition.

Sunday question: Union loses slightly, SPD increases

In terms of party preferences, there are hardly any changes in the DeutschlandTrend. If there were a federal election next Sunday, the Union would lose one percentage point compared to the previous week and slip below the 30 percent mark, but would remain the clearly strongest faction at 29 percent. The SPD could improve by one percentage point and would therefore come to 19 percent. Bündnis90/Die Grünen could also keep their result (17 percent) as could the FDP (7 percent) and the AfD (15 percent). The left would miss the leap into the Bundestag with an unchanged four percent.