What Germans think about expanded NATO leadership role for their country

Admin I Friday, November 15, 2024

 

BERLIN – A YouGov survey published Friday in the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper shows that most Germans oppose a larger leadership role in NATO, with only 33% supporting increased involvement following Donald Trump’s re-election as US president.

The survey, conducted from November 8 to 12 among more than 2,000 eligible voters, and described by YouGov as representative, found that 41% favour maintaining the current level of participation, while 16% advocate for a reduced role or even withdrawal.

Support for greater engagement varied widely by party affiliation. Supporters of the free-market liberal Free Democrats (FDP) and the Greens were more likely to favour greater involvement, with 53% and 49% in favour, respectively.

In contrast, 27% of far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) voters believe Germany should leave NATO altogether.

The majority of centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) and centre-right Christian Democrats (CDU) voters support the current course.

During his first presidency, Trump frequently criticized European allies, particularly for their defence spending, which he deemed insufficient.

At times, he even threatened that the US might leave NATO.

In response, after Trump’s election victory, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) and Defence Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) emphasized the need for Europe to take greater responsibility in security policy.