NRW trend: Immigration and Middle East conflict shape mood
According to a survey, the most important problems identified by voters in North Rhine-Westphalia have shifted significantly within the space of a year: While energy policy was perceived as the most important problem in the fall of 2022, it is currently immigration. For 41% of respondents in North Rhine-Westphalia, the issue is the top priority, as the opinion research institute Infratest dimap determined in a representative survey published on Sunday on behalf of the WDR magazine "Westpol".
This is followed by school and education policy (26%), transport policy problems (16%) and environmental and climate protection (13%). According to the survey, energy policy is currently only the most important issue for 6% of respondents.
Two thirds (66%) are concerned that the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians is having a significant impact on social coexistence and living together in North Rhine-Westphalia.
If a new state parliament were elected in NRW on Sunday, the coalition parties CDU and Greens would achieve almost exactly the same result as in the state elections in May 2022. The CDU could achieve 35% (May 2022: 35.7) and would be the strongest force by far. The Greens would reach 18% (18.2). Compared to the previous survey in June, the coalition parties were able to improve their result slightly.
The SPD came in at 18%, 4 percentage points lower than in the previous survey. In the 2022 NRW elections, the SPD had achieved 26.7%. The FDP came in at 5% and the AfD at 14%, both one percentage point lower than before.
In the survey, more than half of respondents (54%) were critical of the work of the NRW state government. Four out of ten (42%) of those eligible to vote gave it a good report card.
The new project of politician Sahra Wagenknecht is perceived: In NRW, a fifth of eligible voters (22%) can imagine voting for such a party under the leadership of the former Left Party politician.
For the survey, which is said to be representative, 1161 eligible voters were interviewed by telephone and online between October 30 and November 2.
In light of the shift in voter priorities, discussions about immigration and its impact on communities might become a major focus in the upcoming debates in the Parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia. The results of the surveys indicate that a significant number of voters are concerned about the effects of the Middle East conflict, particularly the Israel-Palestinian conflict, on social coexistence within the region.
Source: www.dpa.com
