The citizen questioned is a strange creature, as is the citizen questioned, of course. It is often not that easy to find out what he (and of course she) really wants. Maybe for one simple reason: Because he doesn’t really know himself.
Let’s take climate protection. At the end of last week, pollsters from the Forsa Institute surveyed 1,007 German citizens on behalf of stern. How do the Germans feel about saving the country and the world from the climate catastrophe? Especially in times of Robert Habeck’s “Heizungs-Hammer” (“Bild”) on the one hand and “Klima-Chaoten” (“Bild” again) on the other. Is the impression of a certain stubbornness correct? Or are the Germans willing to make sacrifices and restrictions for a higher goal?
In any case, it is striking at first glance that the majority of the supposedly heated Germans still say that the government is doing too little to achieve the goal of climate neutrality by 2045. Too little! 56 percent think so. And only a good one in five – 22 percent – do the decisions made so far go too far. Only 17 percent say that the traffic light coalition has taken the right measure and is doing enough.
There is a certain division in society on this question. It can be reduced to the flat rule of thumb: The younger, the more climate protection. In the 18- to 29-year-old age group, almost a two-thirds majority – 64 percent – think that the government is too unambitious in its fight against climate change. From middle age, this majority then becomes significantly thinner; among 45 to 60-year-olds, only a whopping 50 percent say that the traffic light doesn’t do enough.
On the other hand, it is not very surprising that among the supporters of the Greens, only three percent believe that too much is being done to protect the climate – and that ten times as many FDP sympathizers have this impression: 32 percent find the measures taken to date excessive . This is only topped by AfD supporters, as many as 52 percent say so.
So, from now on it gets a little more complicated. Or more confusing, as you will. Because the majority impression that the government is doing too little for the desired climate neutrality is opposed by another number: only a quarter of Germans (24 percent) see politics as having the main responsibility for climate protection. Most (29 percent) refer to the economy and companies, while one in five (21 percent) sees citizens first and foremost as having a duty to contribute to more climate protection. And 24 percent say: all equally.
Unsurprisingly, the green clientele blames politics the most (31 percent) and the common people least (17 percent). Liberal supporters see it pretty much the other way around – should we say: of course? – first the citizens (30 percent) and least the economy (17 percent). It’s actually a moderate miracle that these two parties can govern together. Well, they can’t do it that well…
Even more astonishing: Ironically, the SPD sympathizers exonerate the government most of all. Only 17 percent say that politics is primarily responsible for climate protection. If only the chancellor knew that… 31 percent of the supporters of the “Party of Resolute Both/And”, so apostrophized by Sigmar Gabriel, are of the opinion that everyone is equally challenged in terms of climate policy. Distributed justly in a typical social democratic way.
what to say After looking at the data, one gets the impression that this unpredictable little German people is following the motto when it comes to climate protection: wash my fur, but don’t get me wet. A certain willingness to contribute one’s mite to the project can certainly be seen. However, this willingness is initially only of a theoretical nature. That’s what polls are all about.
In any case, more than a quarter of citizens would dig into their wallets for climate protection: According to the Forsa survey, 28 percent advocate that the investments required for climate neutrality should be financed by a climate tax, similar to the solidarity tax. 41 percent think the cost should be offset by cutting spending on other government tasks. 13 percent consider new debt to be an effective means. Curiously enough, the pump-up faction is strongest at 19 percent among the supporters of the Black Zero party CDU/CSU. The FDP supporters are more reliable. 57 percent of them are in favor of spending cuts.
Of the 28 percent in favor of climate taxes, many would not splash out. 32 percent of them would be willing to pay up to 50 euros a month; Extrapolated to the total population, that would be every tenth German. 22 percent would give up to 100 euros – extrapolated to 6.6 percent of all Germans. 27 percent – extrapolated 8.1 percent – would still be there with 10 euros a month. A few would pay the world a lot: Six percent could imagine a levy of up to 500 euros per month, at least every 50th German.
As I said, these are declarations of willingness that initially cost nothing. A similar phenomenon can be seen in the wind turbine question: 41 percent of all Germans would have “nothing at all” against a giant rotor in their own living area. And only 28 percent would feel “very disturbed”, especially in the east (41 percent) and among AfD supporters (64 percent). It is quite possible, however, that the non-disturbed people across all party lines have one thing in common above all: that they live in cities where a wind turbine will probably never be set up.
