The farmers have great support from the population in their current protest actions. 81 percent of Germans have understanding for the farmers, as a quick survey by Forsa for the stern showed. 18 percent have no understanding of the fact that motorway entrances and traffic junctions across Germany are being blocked in protests against the federal government’s agricultural policy. One percent expressed no opinion.
Support for the farmers’ protest is greatest among AfD supporters: 98 percent understand it. 79 percent of CDU and CSU voters also support the farmers. But understanding also prevails among supporters of the traffic light coalition: 80 percent of FDP voters sympathize with farmers, as do 70 percent of SPD supporters. Only among Green Party voters is the figure slightly lower at 61 percent.
It is striking that the farmers’ protest is viewed differently by residents of large cities and the rural population. While in cities with over 100,000 inhabitants only 73 percent understand, in places with under 5,000 inhabitants the figure is 88 percent. There are also certain differences according to age groups. Younger people have a greater understanding of the protests than older people.
The exact question was: “In order to protest against the federal government’s agricultural policy, farmers are blocking traffic junctions and motorway entrances throughout Germany this week. Do you understand this or do you not understand it?”
The data was collected by the market and opinion research institute Forsa for stern and RTL Deutschland on January 4th and 5th. Database: 1001 respondents. Statistical margin of error: /- 3 percentage points.
