German Public Support For Development Cooperation Is Falling - Five Possible Explanations

Abstract

Since the discussion about the federal budget in autumn 2023, the general public has been increasingly critical of German development policy. This criticism comes in the wake of a series of successive and interwoven crises: the Covid-19 pandemic; the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021; the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, which began in 2022; and the conflict in the Middle East, which has flared up again since 2023. The war against Ukraine and its consequences have also led to rising living and energy costs. This has further exacerbated the tense economic situation in Germany and increased the pressure on the federal budget, thereby contributing to the premature end of the SPD/Green/FDP coalition, which had been in power since the end of 2021.