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Greiz in Thuringia: People at an unauthorized demonstration against the Corona measures
Photo: Bodo Schackow / dpa
In Thuringia, according to a study, people share coronaskeptic attitudes more than average.
Despite the violent fourth corona wave and intensive care units at their limit, around 22 percent of people in Thuringia consider the coronavirus "no worse than the flu".
However, the value fell compared to last year, when 35 percent of those surveyed had this attitude.
This emerges from the current Thuringia Monitor presented by researchers from the Friedrich Schiller University Jena in Erfurt.
The long-term study has been investigating the development of the political climate of opinion and attitudes in the Free State annually since 2000 on behalf of the State Chancellery.
For the representative study, a total of 1100 Thuringians who were eligible to vote were surveyed between June 4 and July 3, 2021.
Researchers see radicalization
"A radicalization of the shrinking anti-corona movement can be observed", although not in the direction of right-wing extremism.
Coronavirus and right-wing extremist attitudes therefore only overlap to a small extent.
Overall, the proportion of right-wing extremists fell to eleven percent - the lowest value since the surveys began.
At the same time, the belief in pandemic-related conspiracy narratives is widespread in Thuringia. One third of those surveyed agreed with the statement that there were »secret organizations« that »had a major influence on political decisions during the corona crisis«. In addition, a third also believe that the government "deliberately terrified the population in the corona crisis in order to be able to enforce massive restrictions on fundamental rights."
Nevertheless, people are more satisfied with the democratic system than they were before the pandemic.
According to the study, satisfaction with democracy fell from the previous record of 68 percent last year to 65 percent.
That is still the second highest measured value.
While trust in the courts, police and science remained at a stable level, the trust values for the state and federal government fell.
In 2020, if only 20 percent of those surveyed were dissatisfied with the state government's pandemic management, the proportion doubled this year to 40 percent.
ptz / AFP