opinion poll
What worries the Germans in Corona times
A doctor holds a syringe with corona vaccine in a vaccination center. Photo: Patrick Pleul/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
Does Corona never end? A new study highlights some of the current concerns of Germans. A result stands out.
In the days of Omikron, Germans are particularly concerned about vaccination, as reflected in a recent survey.
More than half of those surveyed (55 percent) worry that there will always be new corona waves until everyone is vaccinated against the virus. In a special survey on the “fears of Germans in the Corona crisis 2022”, this fear exceeds all other concerns asked, as the study by R+V Insurance published on Monday shows. 43 percent were afraid of a corona infection in January – more than in an examination in the summer (35 percent).
Economic optimism
Striking: Significantly fewer people (38 percent) were afraid of a bad economic situation compared to a previous study – in winter 2021 it was still 59 percent. “In Germany there is economic optimism,” explains the Heidelberg political scientist Manfred G. Schmidt. “This is based on the conviction that the economic downturn caused by the pandemic is over and that there are signs of growth in 2022.” Concern about unemployment is also very low (19 percent).
As far as the assessment of vaccination as a means against coming waves is concerned, Schmidt attests to German realism. “In view of the infection process in the past few months, a different judgment would be pretty naïve.”
dissatisfaction with the politicians
Since 1992, the R+V insurance company has been examining the sensitivities of Germans in matters of politics, the economy, the environment, family and health. The last major survey was published in September. During the pandemic, there was a special survey on corona fears for the third time. From January 18th to 20th, 1083 people were asked about selected topics from the long-term study for the representative online study.
49 percent of those surveyed fear that politicians are overwhelmed. Compared to the large study that was determined in July, the values have gotten worse – by eight percentage points. “This shows once again that the citizens are dissatisfied with the work of their politicians,” says Schmidt. However, this value was already higher: in 2017 – i.e. before the pandemic – it was 55 percent.
In the last edition of the long-term study, which examined fears across the board, it became clear how much the issue of money is pressing: 53 percent of those surveyed expressed great fear of higher taxes or reduced benefits because of Corona. Fears of inflation came in second. Every second respondent saw rising living costs. The concern of getting infected with Corona ranked 14th among all topics at the time.