Exclusive
Shortly after the bloody events in Solingen, many politicians are calling for stricter laws. Only a minority of Germans support them.
A freeze on admissions, deportations to Syria, a return to border controls – after the knife attack in Solingen, politicians from all parties are outdoing each other with proposals on asylum and gun laws. However, the majority of citizens are apparently against the instrumentalization of the terrorist attack for the election campaign, as a Forsa Blitz survey for the Stern magazine showed.
Only a minority of 37 percent believe that the rapid response to the attack was correct and appropriate. 60 percent would find it better to decide calmly and after the precise results of the investigation are available about possible changes to the law and other measures.
Solingen attack influences state elections
The majority of supporters of the AfD and the Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) coalition see things differently. 60 percent of AfD voters and 53 percent of BSW voters think the quick reactions are right. In East Germany, where both parties have a disproportionately high number of supporters, this is also seen somewhat more often (41 percent) than in West Germany (36 percent).
This suggests that the knife attack in Solingen will influence the upcoming state elections in Thuringia, Saxony and Brandenburg. Green voters (88 percent) are most likely to call for calm and prudence, but the majority of CDU/CSU supporters (55 percent) are also in favor of restraint. Friedrich Merz, who is particularly vocal in calling for a rapid change in migration policy, is clearly at odds with the majority of his voters.
The data was collected by the market and opinion research institute forsa for the star and RTL Deutschland on August 26 and 27, 2024 by telephone. Data basis: 10XX respondents. This makes the survey representative. Statistical error tolerance: +/- 3 percentage points
The question was: “Immediately after the terrorist attack in Solingen, many politicians are putting forward a number of proposals to tighten the asylum– and gun laws. Do you think these quick reactions are right and appropriate or would it be better to decide calmly and after the precise results of the investigation are available about possible changes to laws and other measures?”
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
