Right-wing forces have made gains from growing hopelessness and pessimism.

„Of course we are stressed about school. But it’s also frustrating when I read the news on my phone. The uncertain world situation, the wars, the climate. I have no idea what my life will look like in 20 years,” young people told German public broadcaster ARD. They reacted to a survey which revealed that young people have never been more pessimistic. According to the study titled Youth in Germany,

this is reflected in high levels of psychological strain, such as stress, reported by 51 per cent of those asked. The same applies to exhaustion (36 per cent) and helplessness (17 per cent), which have continued to rise over the past three years despite the coronavirus epidemic subsiding. 11 per cent of the respondents say that they are currently receiving treatment for mental disorders.

Studie „Jugend in Deutschland”
So pessimistisch wie noch nie
„Unsere Probleme werden einfach nicht gesehen von der Politik”
AfD bei unter 30-Jährigen Spitze🇩🇪💙#AfD #Deutschland #Europawahl2024 https://t.co/cADRjTpZSS pic.twitter.com/O6ZxOEAo9o

— Elena Roon, MdL (@ElenaRoonAfD) April 23, 2024

They are also worried about the economic situation, with the majority of those surveyed assuming that the economic situation in Germany will worsen.

„Our study documents a deep-seated mental insecurity with a loss of confidence in the ability to influence personal and social living conditions,”

says Simon Schnetzer, the author of the study.

Young people in Germany feel helpless due to inflation (65 per cent), expensive housing (54 per cent) and poverty in old age (48 per cent), as well as because of the divide in society (49 per cent) and the rise in the refugee influx (41 per cent). The right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) benefited the most from all this.

Die neue Trendstudie „Jugend in Deutschland” ist erschienen. AfD bei den unter 30-Jährigen auf Platz 1 mit 22 Prozent. Vor 2 Jahren noch bei 9 Prozent. FDP und Grüne, vormals stärkste Parteien unter den Jungwähler, haben stark verloren. #AfD pic.twitter.com/Pz8J4BdjJy

— krautzone (@KraZMagazin) April 23, 2024

The AfD has managed to win over those who would vote against one of the parties in the governing coalition, and the party can also offer answers to the current problems of young people. The survey reveals that standing at 22 per cent, the AfD is currently the most popular party among voters under the age of 30, while in 2022, this rate was only 9 per cent.