Almost half of Germans support relaxing the debt brake, according to a survey conducted by the opinion research institute Insa for T-Online. The poll found that 49 percent of respondents support relaxing the rule, while 28 percent are opposed.
The survey reveals significant differences in the attitudes of supporters of various parties. The highest level of support for relaxing the debt brake is found among the Green party’s voters, with 65 percent in favor, followed by the Social Democratic Party (SPD) with 64 percent and the Left Party with 60 percent. The attitude of Union supporters is more cautious, with 56 percent in favor.
By contrast, a slight majority of Alternative for Germany (AfD) supporters, at 49 percent, are against relaxing the debt brake and the Free Democratic Party’s supporters are even more opposed, with 59 percent against.
There is also a significant group of respondents who do not take a clear stance, with 7 percent saying the question is of no concern and 14 percent not knowing how they stand. Two percent of respondents did not make a statement.
The online survey was conducted on February 24, 2025 and involved 1,000 people in Germany aged 18 and above, with 834 respondents providing party preferences.