Many businesses in Eastern Germany are concerned about the state of democracy, yet they tend to avoid taking public political stances. This trend was highlighted in a survey conducted by the Institute of the German Economy (IW), which was reported on by the “Rheinische Post.”
The study found that six out of ten managers in Eastern Germany view democracy as being under threat, compared to 55 percent in the West. However, study author Knut Bergmann noted that this greater sense of concern in the East does not translate into more public declarations.
In the West, a significantly larger proportion of CEOs, nearly 65 percent, believe that it is the responsibility of companies to work toward democratic stability. This view is shared by less than half of the companies in Eastern Germany. On the other hand, nearly one in four companies in the East cited internal staff conflicts, hate comments, or possible boycotts as obstacles to engagement. Conflicts with customers and suppliers were mentioned slightly more often.
Bergmann commented that Eastern German companies have historically shown more reluctance in explicitly taking a position against the AfD party.
The IW future panel surveyed a total of 903 companies, including 138 from Eastern Germany.
