The CDU plans to abolish the criminal offense regarding the insult of politicians, a proposal that the SPD currently views as inappropriate. However, according to a recent Forsa survey conducted for RTL and Stern, a majority of Germans wish to maintain the existing law. Specifically, 58 percent of respondents prefer to keep the legal provision, compared to 38 percent who want it repealed, while a small portion (4 percent) indicated uncertainty.
When looking at party allegiances, AfD supporters are the most likely to support the repeal, with 60 percent in favor. Conversely, supporters of The Greens (72 percent) and The Left (65 percent) mostly advocate for the law to remain in place. Importantly, the survey revealed that supporters of the SPD and CDU/CSU lean even more heavily towards retention than their representatives in the governing coalition; 84 percent of these groups favor keeping the regulation.
The trend is similar regionally, with both West and East Germans predominantly supporting the continuation of the offense. West Germans were slightly more inclined to keep it (59 percent) than their counterparts in the East (52 percent). The population research institute Forsa gathered responses from 1,007 Germans for the reporting in “Stern” and the broadcaster RTL on June 4 and 5, 2026.
