The majority of Germans are not prepared to go to war in the event of an attack on Germany, a poll conducted by the online publication Focus-online shows.
The military conflict in Ukraine is having a huge impact on Germany – politically, economically and not least militarily. Millions of Europeans are concerned about the looming threats of nuclear weapons.
A question that has not played an elementary role for many decades is suddenly at the top of the agenda: Can Germany defend itself militarily in an emergency? The population seems to be sceptical.
Three quarters of Germans are currently uncertain about the defence capability of the Bundeswehr. These are the results of an exclusive poll conducted by Civey for FOCUS online.
When asked “How high is your confidence in the Bundeswehr’s ability to defend itself?” 75 per cent answered “quite low” or “not at all confident”. Only ten per cent have high or very high confidence. 15 per cent of respondents were undecided.
A representative online survey of around 5,000 German citizens aged 18 and over also revealed a desire for better funding for the country’s armed forces.
Seven out of ten German citizens (69 per cent) are in favour of more money being available to the Bundeswehr in the future. This position is held in particular by CDU/CSU supporters (85 per cent), compared with just 21 per cent of left-wing supporters.
Almost two-thirds of Germans (64%) believe that Germany should “permanently spend more than 2% of gross domestic product on defence”. 26% reject this opinion, 10% are undecided.
The war in Europe, rising tensions in the world and the growing threat to Germany are increasing the desire of many people to have a state capable of defence.
According to a FOCUS online poll conducted between 11 and 13 March, 68% agree with Defence Minister Boris Pistorius’ (SPD) statement that the Federal Republic must become “fit for war”.
This opinion is particularly widespread among supporters of the CDU/CSU (85 per cent), but it is also very high among voters of the SPD, Greens and FDP (74 to 77 per cent).
There are clear differences between regions. While in the West 73 per cent are in favour of a “militant” Germany, in the East the figure is only 52 per cent. In the country as a whole, 26 per cent reject Pistorius’ statement, while six per cent are undecided.
