Far-right attitudes on rise in Germany

One in 12 people in Germany shares a right-wing extremist worldview, according to a new study published on Thursday.

The research by Friedrich Ebert Foundation has found that the number of people with far-right views has significantly increased in the past two years, and has exceeded 8%.

In the foundation's 2020/2021 survey, less than 2% of the respondents had clearly expressed support for right-wing extremist views.

Researchers said the consequences of the Russia-Ukraine war, skyrocketing energy prices, and high inflation are creating challenges for the democratic parties in the center, and strengthening the far-right.

"Insecurities and conflicts over who gets what and how much, are providing a gateway for right-wing extremist ideologies and anti-democratic attitudes," the researchers said in a summary of their report.

According to the survey, trust in the institutions and in the functioning of democracy in Germany has fallen to below 60%.

The number of those who see themselves more to the right of the democratic center has significantly increased, from 9% to 15.5%.

More than 16% of those surveyed approved xenophobic statements, while 5.7% expressed antisemitic views. Some 4% played down crimes committed by Hitler and praised Nazi ideology or policies.

Over 6% agreed with the statement that a dictatorship and a single strong party would be a preferable form of government for Germany.

The survey also revealed prejudice and negative views against immigrants and Muslims.

About 34% of respondents said: "Refugees only come to Germany to take advantage of the social security system."

Some 8% of those surveyed said that they strongly believe that Muslims should be banned from immigration to Germany. Almost 10% said they "somewhat agree" with the suggestion. Another 23% said they "partly agree" with this statement.

The research was based on a nationally representative survey carried out between January and February 2023.