- Research reveals a significant number of young voters exhibit apprehension towards the Green party.
According to a study conducted by generational researchers, numerous first-time voters view the Greens as a potential threat. This sentiment was evident in a survey by the Institute for Generational Research, where 25% of respondents in the west and 30% in the east expressed fear of the party. Rüdiger Maas, the institute's founder, described the Greens as being perceived as extremist and advocates of restrictions. The fear of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) was more pronounced, with 65% in the east and 74% in the west sharing this apprehension.
Maas commented, "This fear is now prevalent among young people towards parties." The fear isn't limited to the AfD, but extends in other directions as well. This was an unexpected finding for the researchers. Young people frequently cited social media videos purporting to depict the Greens as dangerous in their one-on-one discussions. The Greens had already experienced a significant loss of support among young voters in the European elections, receiving only 11% of the votes from 16 to 24-year-olds.
Before the state elections in Thuringia and Saxony, the Augsburg institute released a study on youth voting behavior. They surveyed 870 individuals between the ages of 16 and 25 across the nation, and conducted 132 conversations with young people.
Openness towards voting choices
The direct interviews also revealed that despite the fears, there's a degree of acceptance towards the voting decisions of fellow young voters – even if they vote for the AfD and vice versa. "They say: That's my buddy, and that's my buddy, even if he votes left," said Maas. The traditional left-right divide is becoming less significant: about a quarter are rejecting it.
Interestingly, 41% of respondents agreed with the statement that the government does not care about ordinary people. A third felt that the government was acting against the population's interests. Irrespective of party preference, migration was identified as the most significant problem. Right-wing extremism and climate change followed in second place.
In the context of the state elections in Thuringia and Saxony, the fear of the Greens also emerged as a concern among young voters, according to Maas's Augsburg institute study. Despite this fear, there's a level of understanding and acceptance towards differing voting choices among young people, as expressed during the one-on-one interviews.
