Almost half of the Germans have doubts about the functioning of the democratic system of the Federal Republic. This is revealed by the new “Germany Monitor” of the Federal Government’s Commissioner for East Germany, Carsten Schneider, as reported by the “Spiegel”.
According to the study, which is based on around 4,000 nationwide interviews, there is a broad consensus that it is the best form of government. However, nearly 40 percent of the total population are, according to the study, dissatisfied with the way democracy functions. In the new federal states, it is even more than half of the respondents – 53 percent.
This attitude is particularly pronounced in economically weaker regions, where people also complain about a lack of social justice and worry about economic and social decline. SPD politician Schneider attributes the discontent to “devaluation experiences since the 1990s and a lack of representation.” He demands that more leadership positions be filled by East Germans.
According to the “Germany Monitor”, the sense of “we” in the country is also low. Only 31 percent of the respondents, according to the study, have a stable trust in their fellow human beings. Only one in eight rates the social cohesion positively. However, the social trust has grown on a local level over the past decade. Schneider sees an opportunity in this: one must strengthen the local cohesion “without excluding anyone.” In German neighborhoods, one must be “open to people who are being drawn in from outside, whether from within or outside the country”.