According to a study, the narrow majority of the population in Thuringia is dissatisfied with democracy. According to the "Thuringia Monitor" 2022, satisfaction with democracy fell by 17 percentage points to just 48 percent compared to the year before. This marks the sharpest decline since 2001. Just two years ago, almost two-thirds of those surveyed were satisfied "with democracy as it works in practice in Germany". Details of the study are to be presented at noon on Tuesday.

According to the survey, a similar picture emerges when it comes to trust in politics. Trust in the federal government fell for the second year in a row, falling by 15 percentage points to 22 percent – the lowest level of trust in 16 years. According to the report, only 40 percent of respondents now trust the Thuringian state government.

1885 Thuringian interviewed

Especially in rural areas, the approval ratings would be significantly lower and thus at a worrying level, the study said. Attitudes that threaten democracy, such as right-wing extremism and populism, are also more strongly represented in rural areas than in cities. Likewise, the feeling of disadvantage is even more pronounced in rural regions.

For the current survey, 1885 Thuringians eligible to vote were interviewed last autumn. At that time, the energy crisis and energy price shock, as well as the highest inflation in more than 70 years, dominated the public debate. The Thuringia Monitor is compiled annually by researchers from the University of Jena on behalf of the State Chancellery. The cabinet wants to deal this Tuesday with the results of the study, which had already been reported by several media.