New survey
Germans are worried about Trump’s re-election – 82 percent expect worse US relations
Former US President Donald Trump at a campaign appearance in Texas
© Michael Gonzalez/Getty Images
The prospect of Donald Trump’s re-election worries many Germans. According to a recent survey, a clear majority assumes that transatlantic relations will deteriorate.
The Germans are worried about the return of the former US president Donald Trump in the White House: 82 percent of Germans assume that this would have a negative impact on transatlantic relations, according to a study by the Kantar Public opinion research institute presented on Monday by the Körber Foundation in Hamburg.
According to survey participants, transatlantic relations have recently recovered under the incumbent US President Joe Biden. 43 percent of Germans consider the USA to be the most important partner. That is seven percentage points more than in the survey a year ago.
77 percent of Germans rate relations with the USA as rather good to very good. In a parallel survey in the USA, 85 percent of US citizens rated the US-German relationship as very positive.
Germany and the USA are worried about China’s growing influence
However, the Germans differ significantly in their assessments depending on the political field. The USA is seen as the most important partner when it comes to dealing with the war in Ukraine by 69 percent, but only 29 percent see it as the most important partner when it comes to climate protection.
In Germany, as in the USA, China’s growing influence is increasingly viewed negatively. This is what 62 percent of Germans and even 71 percent of US citizens say. Six out of ten Germans are in favor of greater economic independence from China, even if this could mean economic losses and job losses.
49 percent of those surveyed see China as an economic competitor, 35 percent as a rival and only 13 percent as a partner of Germany. 55 percent of German citizens see China as a military threat – nine percentage points more than a year ago.
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54 percent support that Germany should exercise restraint in international crises
According to the survey, a majority of 57 percent of Germans believe that Germany’s influence in the world has declined in the past two years. 54 percent of those surveyed are in favor of Germany showing greater restraint in international crises. Only 38 percent would like Germany to be more involved. This is the lowest value since the survey series began in 2017.
Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD)’s call for Germany’s war capability has met with a mixed response. 71 percent of those surveyed are against a military leadership role for the Federal Republic in Europe. Nevertheless, 72 percent of those surveyed agree with the goal of spending at least two percent of gross domestic product on defense in accordance with the NATO agreement.
Kantar Public surveyed 1,057 eligible voters aged 18 and over for the study in September. The data from the USA was collected by the Pew Research Center in September.