Energy supply, climate protection, pensions: While more than half of Germans believed in their state’s ability to act at the beginning of the pandemic, this trust is increasingly crumbling, according to a survey. On the other hand, as in the previous year, one particular profession enjoys particular prestige.
According to a survey, trust in the state is at an all-time low. As reported by the German Association of Civil Servants, only 29 percent of those surveyed believe that the state is capable of acting and can fulfill its tasks. This is a significant decrease compared to the previous year, when 45 percent still believed in the state's ability to act.
In the summer of 2020 - after the first months of the corona pandemic - at 56 percent it was even more than half of the citizens. Two thirds or 66 percent of the survey participants currently believe that the state is overwhelmed. The supporters of the Left Party, the FDP and especially the AfD hold this view even more frequently than the average of all respondents.
According to the survey, 17 percent of those who consider the state to be overwhelmed see this above all with regard to the provision of a secure and affordable energy supply. 15 percent feel that the state is overwhelmed when it comes to climate and environmental protection, 13 percent in the area of school and education policy and twelve percent in the social security systems or pensions.
The opinion on the performance of the public service was also queried. Only a few respondents - 13 percent - believe that this has increased compared to previous years. At 46 percent, the proportion of citizens who believe that it has decreased significantly increased. Last year, only 38 percent shared this opinion. On the other hand, 33 percent see no change in performance. According to the survey, the supporters of the AfD think that this has decreased to an above-average extent. They also find that the public service costs too much money with above-average frequency.
For the survey, the Institut Forsa surveyed citizens online and representatively in July 2021. The reputation of individual professional groups in the population was also surveyed. As in the previous year, the ranking is led by firefighters - they have a high or very high reputation with 93 percent of those surveyed. This is followed by nurses with 88 percent, doctors with 86 percent and staff in geriatric care with 85 percent. According to the survey, civil servants are currently held in high esteem by 31 percent of those surveyed.
As in previous years, telephone company employees received the lowest level of appreciation at 12 percent, advertising agency staff at 8 percent and insurance agents at 7 percent. "Once again, the figures show that citizens fundamentally differentiate between a lack of or poor political leadership on the one hand and committed people in public service on the other," said Ulrich Silberbach, national chairman of the DBB. Thus, among the most popular occupational groups, jobs of general interest are predominantly represented.
