With just a few weeks to go before the important state elections in Saxony-Anhalt, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and Berlin, Elisabeth Kaiser, the Federal Government Commissioner for Eastern Germany, has expressed concern about the disillusionment many people feel toward politics. “I believe that this mistrust, and also this disappointment, was very much linked to the pandemic and the decisions made at that time,” the SPD politician told the German Press Agency. “I think a deep breach of trust has occurred.”
This was followed by the war in Ukraine, the energy crisis, economic transformation, pressure to innovate from China, and threats to jobs. “These are all situations that cause people enormous anxiety,” Kaiser said. On top of that, there are now austerity measures.
According to a new YouGov survey, 66 percent in the West and as many as 71 percent in the East do not believe that politicians are striving to represent the interests of the population. Eight out of ten respondents doubt that politicians make an effort to engage with the public. Fifty percent in the West and 56 percent in the East view corruption and misconduct by politicians as a weakness of democracy.
