From Ukraine to Europe: German youth fear the spread of war the most — survey

The greatest fear of German youth is that the war in Ukraine could spread across Europe.

This is reported by “Deutsche Welle”, citing a survey conducted at the request of the oil corporation Shell.

The threat of the war spreading was ranked as the top concern by the majority of respondents (81%). Compared to 2019, this figure has nearly doubled.

The second greatest fear is poverty, with 67% of respondents expressing concern (five years ago, around 50% of respondents feared this). Other major concerns for young people include unemployment and job market issues, climate change (63%), environmental pollution, growing hostility between people (64% compared to 56% in 2019), and xenophobic sentiments in society.

Overall, the survey showed that German youth have become much more interested in politics: 55% of respondents stated that they are now interested in political matters.

“Young people have realized that high-level politics is not just something distant and can no longer be ignored,” explained the study’s author, political scientist Matthias Albert.

The survey categorized youth as individuals aged 12 to 25.

It is also worth noting that recently, Germany’s ruling Social Democratic Party has been advocating more frequently for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine. The head of the party’s parliamentary faction in the Bundestag, Rolf Mützenich, has supported this stance.

Additionally, according to media reports, Germany has refused to supply Ukraine with new heavy military equipment.