As of: March 27, 2024, 7:16 p.m
By: Moritz Maier
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A survey shows how young people think about Europe.
First-time voters associate different values with the EU than older voters and are more open to extreme fringes.
Berlin/Strasbourg – For the first time in Germany, people aged 16 and over are allowed to make their cross in the European elections in June.
But what do first-time voters think about Europe and politics?
The last state elections in Bavaria and Hesse made it clear that young people in particular have moved strongly to the right, and the AfD celebrated great success with first-time voters.
Young people also attribute competence to the AfD at the European level.
This is the result of a current study by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS).
Nevertheless, the first-time voters are very pro-Europe.
First-time voters are more Europe-friendly – but more inclined towards the political fringes
76 percent of those aged 16 to 22 who are eligible to vote for the first time are of the opinion that Germany is doing better because it is in the EU.
Only 53 percent of those eligible to vote see it that way.
So young people are more EU-friendly.
The proportion of first-time voters who think Germany's membership in the EU is a good thing is also 81 percent, slightly higher than the overall average (76 percent).
For the representative survey, the KAS and the opinion research institute USUMA surveyed over 4,000 people from Germany from June to September 2023.
Despite the positive attitude towards the European Union, there is more support for the AfD among young people.
14 percent of first-time voters say the AfD for Europe is most likely to have problem-solving skills.
This puts the right-wing extremist party in first place among young people, together with the SPD (also 14 percent).
For comparison: According to the survey, the CDU/CSU is in first place in the overall population with 22 percent, while the AfD is well behind with six percent.
Significant difference between young men and women
Differences by gender are noticeable in the survey.
Young men consider the CDU/CSU and the SPD to be more competent, while young women favor the Left significantly more.
The AfD's approval ratings are at a similar level.
Women were also twice as likely (54 percent) to say they were unable to answer the question about European problem-solving skills.
For young men the figure is only 25 percent.
In addition to the general EU-friendliness, but also the stronger orientation towards the political fringes, the study makes it clear that Europe means something different for future first-time voters than for older ones.
Young people are less likely to associate the value of “peace” with the EU than the overall average of those eligible to vote.
For them, the focus is on the EU with the values of security and prosperity.
In addition, the majority of young people associate the EU with the value of “strength in the world”.
According to the survey, this connection is significantly lower in the general population.
(Not) a big generation difference?
A generational difference is not quite as strong when it comes to the future direction of the European Union.
82 percent of first-time voters say they would like the EU to have a strong or very strong commitment to climate protection.
In the general population, however, the value is similarly high at 76 percent.
For older voters, on the other hand, the issues of defense as well as migration and refugees are slightly more important than for young, first-time EU voters.