Dhe trust of many citizens in democracy is dwindling. This is proven by data from the demoscopy, which is shown by reports from the municipalities, from mayors and district administrators who are confronted with the concrete problems of the citizens. Many are dissatisfied with the federal government, especially when it comes to energy and migration policies.
It’s coming on June 18th in Schwerin in the election of the mayor for the run-off between the office holder of the SPD and a candidate of the AfD. A week later, in Thuringia district of Sonneberg decide whether the AfD candidate can prevail against the CDU for the election of the district administrator.
In some polls, the right-wing party is on par with the chancellor’s party, the SPD. For a long time, the social democrats saw themselves as representatives of the workers and those classes that were socially disadvantaged. But now they often no longer get through when addressing the people.
Unlike the CDU, which is far ahead in polls, the SPD is stagnating nationwide with approval ratings of between 18 and 20 percent. For the former People’s Party, these are not outstanding values; and the danger that the SPD will be overtaken by the AfD is growing. Why aren’t the Social Democrats able to convince more citizens of their policies?
“People are missing answers, I notice that very clearly here in the rural region,” says Stefan Sternberg in an interview with WELT. The social democrat is a district administrator in the district of Ludwigslust-Parchim in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. In this federal state, the SPD has a comparatively good status, at least for East Germany; she poses Manuela Schwesig the Prime Minister and is still the strongest force in current polls – but closely followed by the AfD.
Stefan Sternberg (SPD), District Administrator of Ludwigslust-Parchim
Quelle: picture alliance/dpa
According to the district administrator, there is a lack of clear messages in Berlin and of realizable, very concrete solutions. Anita Schneider is also convinced of this. She is district administrator for the SPD in the Hessian district of Giessen. In Hesse, a state election is scheduled for autumn. In surveys, the CDU in Hesse is currently clearly ahead with 30 percent; the SPD reaches 20 percent, the AfD twelve percent.
The Giessen district administrator emphasizes that it is currently about people’s existential questions: “Lost my house with the amendment to the Building Energy Act in value? What options do I have and how can I finance them?” There are fears about the future that the AfD uses. Schneider thinks that politics needs to get better at communicating its content: “People’s fears have to be taken away and they have to be involved.”
Anita Schneider, District Administrator of Giessen
Source: Gießen district
However, this is obviously not the case at the moment. The lack of coordination between the federal and local governments is almost symptomatic of the traffic light coalition. This applies not only to migration policy, and as a result the municipalities alert hit because they can no longer take in asylum seekers.
A lack of coordination also characterizes one of the most important legislative projects of the Federal Government, namely the Building Energy Act. If the SPD has its way, it should be passed before the parliamentary summer break – despite the coalition turmoil, despite many unanswered questions.
There is widespread resentment among the population. The heating law is also one of the big issues among citizens in his region, says District Administrator Sternberg. In rural areas one hears about heat supply networks that one should rely on. For the social democrat, that makes no sense: “If you live in a district like this, where an average community has only 350 to 400 inhabitants, no heating network in the world is economically viable.”
A lot of people don’t know what to do now. A baking oven manufacturer asked him what he should now produce: “Electric ovens that are of poorer quality than gas ovens? What then with the bakeries?” Almost everyone has a house here. Some would have worked a lifetime to pay off the loans. Now they are supposed to heat differently, but heat pumps could not be installed there. “This pent-up uncertainty creates a protest situation among people,” says Sternberg. And then they voted for the AfD.
Causes other than mere “protest” by “left behind” East Germans
The district administrator does not believe that this dynamic has anything to do with the German East-West discussion, even if the polls for the AfD in East Germany are disproportionately higher than in the west of the republic. The decisive factor is how the structure has grown here in each case.
Ines Geipel, writer and ex-competitive athlete from the GDR, also points to this. In an interview with WELT, she explains: “In 1989, the GDR was torn down to the last village. One should not confuse cause and effect here and, after 35 years, continue to build on the collective of victims in the East, as if this were about East Germans who have been left behind, who are humiliated by the West and who vote for the AfD in protest.”
There are also many in the East who do not want the AfD: “They should above all support politics.” Conversely, Geipel recalls that it was West Germans “who chose the East as an AfD experimental field”. In this respect, the party is “a German-German product”.
Renate Köcher from the Allensbach Institute for Demoscopy confirms that the survey high for the AfD is disproportionately an issue in the East, but is also increasing in the West. The explanation is obvious, she says to WELT: “Two-thirds agree to the AfD disappointment with others.“
For this reason, too, she does not yet rate the approval ratings for the AfD as an expression of political radicalization among most of them. But it could happen if the other parties don’t react. What connects AfD supporters is frustration, she explains: “This is not a political program in itself.”
There is a lack of teachers, hairdressers, daycare places and apartments
But where does this frustration come from? The situation is tense, but in international comparison Germany is still a stable welfare state. Köcher refers to data that confirms that the Germans “continue to see many of the country’s strengths”. But there is also the perception that Germany is no longer functioning properly: “Half the population has the impression that Germany is in decline.” educationtransport infrastructure and digitization.
Daniel Kurth, SPD district administrator from the Brandenburg district of Barnim, says that some citizens have serious doubts as to whether the state is still fulfilling its obligations. Many crises came together at a rapid pace, which were accompanied by fundamental changes in people’s lives. You can feel that in the region too: there is a lack of teachers, hairdressers, day-care centers and apartments. Some shops would have had to close because of the pandemic, now there is inflation, the consequences of climate change, the energy transition.
Daniel Kurth, District Administrator in Barnim
Source: District of Barnim/Thomas Bauer
But the biggest issue for people here is migration. Some citizens are increasingly skeptical about refugees; sometimes there are racists undertones. In order to be able to change something structurally in his Brandenburg district, the district administrator relies on political education. More must be invested here in order to raise awareness of the topic.
However, it is questionable whether this will be enough to eliminate the mistrust of state institutions. Wherever you ask around, the same phenomenon appears again and again: politics no longer gets through to the people. For many, the only thing that matters is that they should fundamentally change their way of life without seeing any concrete solutions.
Köcher from the Allensbach Institute advises not to surprise citizens with political decisions, but rather to consider their consequences for citizens. This is the only way to restore trust. This coincides with the descriptions of the district administrators. Where the content is not understandable, they encounter resistance. If nothing changes in these deficits in political mediation and right-wing populists use such gaps for themselves, the governing parties, above all the former People’s Party SPD, could be further weakened.
“Kick-off Politics” is WELT’s daily news podcast. The most important topic analyzed by WELT editors and the dates of the day. Subscribe to the podcast at Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music or directly via RSS feed.
Comments are closed.