Following the discovery of a drone loaded with explosives at Leipzig/Halle airport, near Ukrainian transport aircraft, there is ongoing discussion about how Germany can better secure critical facilities in the future.
A recent Forsa survey commissioned by “Stern” and RTL revealed that 51% of the population supports allowing private operators of critical infrastructure to shoot down drones, a capability currently reserved primarily for the police. However, 44% of respondents voted against this measure, while 5% stated they did not know.
The opinion varied geographically: 52% of East Germans favored granting private operators more authority, compared to only 44% in the West. Furthermore, supporters of the CDU/CSU (55%) and the AfD (58%) were more inclined to dilute the current state monopoly on this issue. A majority of the Green Party’s supporters (50% in favor vs. 43% against) also voted for expanded rights for private drone shooters. In contrast, sympathizers of the SPD and the Left Party were significantly more resistant to such a permission, with 54% of SPD supporters and 66% of Left Party members arguing against it.
