A Forsa survey conducted by RTL and ntv’s “Trendbarometer” reveals that 84 percent of German citizens believe that political parties across the spectrum fail to adequately address the real problems and interests of the people. Conversely, only 12 percent have the impression that their parties are sufficiently attentive to the concerns of the citizenry.
This critique is pervasive across nearly all political alignments. At 96 percent, supporters of the Left party voiced this criticism, while 98 percent of AfD followers shared the view that the parties neglect the interests of the public. Similarly, 72 percent of CDU/CSU supporters and 71 percent of Green Party supporters hold this perspective.
Among respondents who fundamentally believe that political parties overlook the concerns and problems of citizens, the AfD is the party most frequently cited as being the least concerned with the people. Twenty-nine percent named the AfD, followed by the Union (25 percent). The SPD (11 percent) and the Greens (10 percent) were named significantly less often, with the FDP and Left Party each receiving four percent.
When comparing regional views on which party least cares for the people, 31 percent in the West named the AfD, compared to 19 percent in the East. Notably, in the Eastern states, the Union was named ahead of the AfD, cited by 23 percent of respondents. This finding is particularly interesting given the upcoming state elections.
Conversely, citizens who support the Union, SPD, Greens, and Left Party most often accuse the AfD of neglecting their interests. However, AfD followers themselves most commonly hold the CDU and CSU responsible; 41 percent of them specifically named the Union.
