An overview of German federal, state and local election dates
more »
ARD DeutschlandTREND
October 2009
For which aim should money be spent primarily?
Click enlarge »
Social Justice:
With a center-right coalition, society in Germany will become ..
A center-right coalition is the proper government to … (strength)
Click enlarge »
A center-right coalition is the proper government to … (weakness)
Click enlarge »
How should the SPD act?
Click enlarge »German citizens have confidence that a coalition between Union and FDP, whose formation is currently being negotiated, will be able to cope with the economic issues at stake: For seven in ten, this coalition is the proper government to provide economic growth. The coalition also scores beyond economic issues: Sixty percent consider it as the right one in order to improve chances in the educational sector. More than 50 percent believe that the Union and the FDP will introduce measures to improve the balance between family life and career. However, with respect to issues of social justice, appropriate salaries and a better integration of immigrants the majority expresses doubts that the new coalition is the right one to properly deal with these policy fields. Though there is widespread scepticism regarding particular social issues, people do not expect a backlash regarding social policies. Only one in five believes that society as whole will generally become less fair then before.
Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, the current Minister for Economic Affairs, and Ursula von der Leyen, the current minister of family affairs, were the most popular of the Union’s ministers in the former government. Both are also favorites for the new cabinet: Three-quarters prefer that zu Guttenberg and seven in ten that Ursula von der Leyen will also be ministers in the new Union/FDP cabinet. Among the FDP candidates who are discussed as possible minsters, party chairman Guido Westerwelle receives the highest support: Two out of three would like him to join the cabinet.
After its severe election defeat, the SPD is confronted with various demands and suggestions for correcting the party’s political program and objectives. Three-quarters of the respondents agree with the request for closing the chapter on the Hartz reforms. The same amount supports the proposal for taking back the prolongation of the retirement age from 65 to 67. A political re-orientation with respect to co-operation with the Left Party on the national level, however, is evaluated sceptically by a majority: Six in ten consider this as a wrong strategy.
The immediate political reactions on the election outcome have not lead to changes in political opinion climate in Germany. The current vote intention confirms the election outcome of 27th September. Every third German (34%) would vote for the Union. The SPD would obtain 23 percent. The FDP would get a vote share of 14 percent, the Left Party could count on 13 percent. The Greens would receive 11 percent of the vote.
These are the main results of the ARD-DeutschlandTREND in October, conducted by Infratest dimap on behalf of ARD-Tagesthemen and six daily newspapers. In a representative survey among eligible voters in Germany, 1.000 persons were questioned by telephone October 5 and 6, and 1.500 from October 5 to 7 for the voting preference poll. The survey design allows for generalization of results to the German voting population, with an error margin of 1.4 to 3.1 percentage points.
* at a share of 5%
** at a share of 50%
