Around 46% of survey respondents in Germany believe they can freely express their political opinions.
According to a recent study conducted by the Allensbach Institute for Public Opinion Research on behalf of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, while 46% of respondents said it is possible to openly express political views, 44% believed that people must be cautious when making political statements. This figure is nearly identical to results from an Allensbach survey conducted during the coronavirus pandemic in 2021, when 45% of respondents affirmed freedom of expression.
Thomas Petersen, a researcher at Allensbach, emphasized that the results do not mean freedom of expression does not exist in Germany. Rather, many people feel
that attempts are being made to silence them as soon as they say something considered politically incorrect in public or in the media.
It was no surprise that many felt pressured. In 2024 the former leftist-liberal government did not shy away from targeting its political opponents—not least the anti-immigration, anti-globalist Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party and right-wing media outlets that sharply criticised government policies. In what was widely seen as a politicised attack on press freedom, Germany’s former interior ministry had banned a right-wing magazine Compact for “inciting hatred.”
The AfD continues to be a target, with party members reportedly attacked in the streets and some party offices set on fire. As the right-wing populists gained in popularity, extremist left-wing groups increasingly resorted to violence.
Petersen says that the survey also highlights how many respondents showed limited tolerance for the controversial views of others.
A similar survey conducted by the Robert Bosch Foundation in September in Baden-Württemberg produced even more striking results. There, 55% of respondents expressed doubts about the existence of genuine freedom of expression in Germany, while only one-third were confident that such freedom exists.
