"A new image for us"

German first-time voters are afraid of the Greens

Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Economics Minister Robert Habeck

(Bild: AFP)

Many young German voters perceive the AfD and the Greens as a threat. This is shown by a new study by the Institute for Generation Research. The Greens are sometimes portrayed as extremist and a party to be banned, said Rüdiger Maas, founder of the institute.

"Young people now have real fears of political parties. And that doesn't just go in the direction of the AfD, but also in other directions," Maas continued. In direct conversations with young people, for example, reference is often made to videos on social media that are supposed to show how dangerous the Greens are. In the survey, 25 to 30 percent of respondents, depending on the region, said that the Greens would scare them.

In the European elections, the party had already lost considerable favor among young voters and only received 11% of 16 to 24-year-olds. According to the survey, fear of the AfD was even greater at 65 to 74 percent.

Demonstration against AfD in Essen

(Bild: AFP)

Tolerance for those who vote differently
Another study conducted shortly before the state elections in Thuringia and Saxony has now concluded that, despite fears, there is tolerance towards the voting decisions of others. "They say: 'That's my brother and he'll stay my brother, even if he votes left'," said Maas. In general, one in four people already reject the classic left-right division.

Irrespective of party preferences, the young respondents named migration as the most important problem, followed by right-wing extremism and climate change. Around one in three people have the impression that the government is working against the population. Even more people (41%) believe that the government does not care about the people.