According to the study, demos against right-wing extremism give Germans a good feeling

The demonstrations against right-wing extremism in recent weeks have given many Germans the feeling that something is moving in the country. According to a new study by the Rheingold Institute, 61 percent of those surveyed agree with this statement, as the institute announced on Wednesday in Cologne. Many felt politically homeless and now had a feeling of “great common conviction,” said institute founder Stephan Grünewald when presenting the study.

The revelations by the Correctiv network about a right-wing extremist secret meeting in Potsdam were a kind of wake-up call for many citizens. “Demonstrators describe how this shook them out of the lethargy and passive-resigned mood that they had felt in the face of the multiple crises of the last few months,” explained Grünewald.

Demos against right-wing extremism as a “wake-up call”

According to the study, 67 percent of those surveyed believe that the demonstrations are a “wake-up call for politics.” They are critical of the federal government: 70 percent agreed with the statement that the traffic light coalition was strengthening the AfD through its disunity.

Most participants in the demonstrations and their sympathizers hoped that the movement would continue, the Rheingold Institute said. 29 percent of those surveyed said they would take part in future demonstrations against right-wing extremism and for democracy. At the end of January, the institute surveyed 1,061 people online and conducted 26 in-depth interviews.