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Ban on fast cars, alcohol or risky sports? A new survey shows: Germans think little of restrictions. There are majorities in favor of bans in only three areas.
Meat, balloons or the word mom. If you believe CSU boss Markus Söder, the Greens want to ban all of this. Whether he takes the facts so seriously is another question. But since the debate about the heating law, the Greens have lost their reputation as a ban party.
The ban itself is unpopular
Does the decline of the Eco Party in the polls have anything to do with this? Anyone who studies the results of the new freedom index might get the idea. In a representative survey, the Allensbach Institute presented participants with a list of 16 possible state bans. On average, the ideas received an approval rating of 34 percent.
Just four percent of Germans would ban particularly dangerous sports, only six percent would ban euthanasia and only 14 percent would ban the sale of high-proof alcohol. Only 15 percent are in favor of banning fast, high-horsepower cars, only 21 percent are in favor of a speed limit of 130 on the motorway and gambling also has few opponents at 24 percent. Almost a third would take action against pornography or soft drugs. 44 percent would like to ban health-endangering foods, and the same number would ban films, videos and computer games with lots of depictions of violence.
There are only two points where there are clear majorities in favor of bans: human cloning (73 percent) and hard drugs such as cocaine or heroin (83 percent). At first glance, the list seems a bit mixed, but it gives a good insight into the values of Germans, for whom, according to the study, freedom has become more important again.
Majority for action against right-wing radical parties
The attitude among parties is varied: While only 38 percent would have left-wing radical parties banned, 52 percent of right-wing radical parties are in favor of this. The Germans apparently suspect that they are bigger enemies of freedom than the Greens.
From August 29th to September 11th, 2024, the Institute for Demoscopy in Allensbach surveyed 1,017 people over the age of 16 in personal interviews (“face-to-face”) for the freedom index. Statistical margin of error: +/- three percentage points
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.
