- Surveying East German Voters Reveals Persisting Bias
Three Decades Post-Reunification, East Germans in Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg Still Perceive a Gap with West
Approximately 35 years following reunification, a majority of voters in Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg maintain the belief that East Germany is not keeping pace with West Germany. YouGov, an institute, conducted a survey revealing that 60% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that West Germany's living conditions surpass those in East Germany, while 30% held a differing viewpoint.
The survey involved 1,898 eligible voters in these three states from August 9 to 16. YouGov asserts that the collected data accurately reflects the group as a whole, and not per individual state.
Persistent Stereotypes
Upcoming elections for the state parliaments will occur in these three states, with Saxony and Thuringia voting on September 1, and Brandenburg following three weeks later. 77% of survey participants perceive West Germans harboring prejudices against East Germans. Conversely, 45% believe there's bias from the East towards the West, compared to 46% who disagree.
Majority views Immigration as a Burden
51% of respondents consider immigration as a burden in these three eastern states, whereas only 22% regard it as essential for fostering prosperity. Immigration and asylum policies emerge as the most crucial local issues among 35% of participants.
68% of survey participants express dissatisfaction towards the state of democracy in Germany. Regarding collaboration with the AfD, 35% advocate for total exclusion, while 26% advocate for active engagement. 33% favor considering collaboration on a case-by-case basis.
The AfD is generally deemed right-wing extremist in Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Brandenburg, and is challenging this classification in court.
Unfamiliarity with Prospective Leaders
The key politicians in these three states received mixed responses. Saxony's Minister-President Michael Kretschmer (CDU) garnered positive (41%) and negative (37%) views. Thuringia's head of government, Bodo Ramelow (Left), also received mixed feedback (37% positive and 38% negative). Brandenburg's Dietmar Woidke (SPD) garnered 24% positive and 23% negative responses.
Several leading candidates remain relatively unknown. 61% of respondents were unaware of Jan Redmann (CDU, Brandenburg), and 47% were unfamiliar with Mario Voigt (CDU, Thuringia).
Based on the survey conducted by YouGov, the Commission shall adopt the decision to highlight the persistent stereotypes and divide between East and West Germans, as evidenced by the majority of respondents perceiving bias from both sides and considering immigration as a burden in the three eastern states.
Given the upcoming elections in Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg, the Commission should also consider the significant percentage of voters who are dissatisfied with the state of democracy in Germany and hold differing views on collaborating with the AfD, a party often classified as right-wing extremist.
