German youth are shifting towards the Alternative for Germany (AfD) amid concerns over mass immigration, inflation, the economy, and the war in Ukraine, according to the “Youth in Germany” study, which was conducted on 14- to 29-year-olds.
The results of the large-scale survey show that twice as many young people would vote for the AfD compared to 2022 and that the party is now the number one party in Germany in terms of favorability.
“The AfD has clearly succeeded in presenting itself as a protest party for the traffic lights and as a problem solver for current concerns,” reads the study.
The study also notes that politically conservative, anti-immigrant and xenophobic statements have increased among youth.
“We can speak of a clear shift to the right in the young population,” summarized researcher Hurrelmann.
The survey shows that the number one concern of young people is inflation, with 65 percent confirming this, while the wars in Europe and the Middle East took the number two spot, with 60 percent of those surveyed citing these as a concern.
The number three concern was scarce and overpriced housing at 54 percent. Climate change and divisions in society both garnered 49 percent.
Although concern over “the increase in refugee flows” was only a concern of 41 percent of this age group, this was a huge increase from the last survey, when only 22 percent cited this as a concern.
The study authors note that although Germany’s youth are more used to living in international and multi-ethnic circles than older generations, “regardless of this, there seems to be growing concern that too many refugees are coming into the country and that this poses dangers due to the lack of living space, social division and financially strained social systems.”
The growing concern over immigration, inflation, and the war in Ukraine has been a boon for the AfD party. In just one year, the AfD has almost doubled its share of the vote among young people. At 22 percent, the party is now the number one party for those under 30 in terms of favorability.
In addition, issues like the housing crisis and inflation are directly tied to the migrant crisis. As Remix News has previously reported, migrants are contributing to a housing squeeze as the country reaches new population records every year solely due to mass migration, all at a time when housing construction has plummeted. At the same time, mass migration is putting severe strains on the healthcare system and social benefits.
For Germany’s “Generation Z,” the education situation may also be contributing to their growing worry over the migration crisis. As reported here, teachers and parents are raising the alarm about diversity in the school system, with falling standards, violence in the classroom, and conflicts between different student groups contributing to a deteriorating education system.
The study notes that AfD has found success on TikTok and Instagram, which may account in part for the party’s success with the youth. The popularity of right-wing parties on TikTok in particular may be why the Western left-liberal establishment is looking to ban or curtail the app.
In the survey, the Christian Democrats (CDU) are also doing well with young people, coming in at second place with 20 percent support. The ruling left-liberal government has seen its support among the young drop substantially.
The survey also notes that the rate of mental illness and anxiety about the future are rising in German youth.
