Only 34% of Germans still see the Federal Republic of Germany in a leadership role in the EU.
This is the result of a survey by the Forsa Institute on behalf of the “European Movement Germany”, reported by the “Spiegel”. According to this, 53% of respondents denied the question of whether Germany still takes a leadership role in the EU.
This result could also be seen as a poor mark for Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), who is known for not being interested in Europe. Scholz’s predecessor, Angela Merkel (CDU), placed more value on European-oriented politics.
In the survey, 80% said they consider Germany’s EU membership important. Interest in EU affairs has increased from 66% (April 2019) to 70% (December 2024). 66% want the EU to offer more incentives for economic growth. 88% are convinced that the distribution of refugees among EU member states is only inadequately managed.
A majority of respondents also find the right-wing AfD and the “Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance” (52%) to be harmful to European integration. According to the survey, younger and older people are more positively inclined towards the EU, while middle-aged groups are more critical.