Foreign Policy and Global Responsibility (June 2021)

The survey, conducted by the polling institute Forschungsgruppe Wahlen on behalf of the Press and Information Office of the German Federal Government, captures attitudes towards Germany´s foreign policy in June 2021. The focus is, for example, on the assessment of the global political situation, Germany´s partnerships, the assumption of global responsibility, development aid and dealing with regimes that violate human rights.<br>Most important global problem apart from Corona; second most important global problem; interest in foreign policy; information behaviour and awareness of foreign policy; attitude to Germany´s influence in the world; change in Germany´s influence in the last ten years; importance of Germany´s international reputation; change in reputation in the last few years; attitude to national pride; assessment of Germany´s conduct with regard to asserting its own interests vis-à-vis other states; attitude to foreign deployment for economic interests of German companies; dependence of German economy on foreign countries (USA, Russia, China, France and Great Britain); attitude to democracy promotion; responsibility in human rights cases; attitudes towards Germany´s conduct with regard to the assertion of its own interests vis-à-vis other states; attitudes towards the deployment abroad of German companies for economic interests; dependence of the German economy on foreign countries (USA, Russia, China, France and Great Britain); attitudes towards the promotion of democracy; responsibility in countries that violate human rights (also due to the National Socialist past); evaluation of ´help for self-help´ in developing countries; evaluation of German aid in developing countries by attaching conditions (country must contribute to combating causes of flight, observance of human rights, aid should serve German interests); attitude towards Germany´s future cooperation with the USA, Russia, China, France and Great Britain; evaluation of Germany´s policy compared to other industrialised nations in the areas of climate protection, refugee policy and combating the pandemic worldwide; Germany should do more in the aforementioned areas; evaluation of measures against human rights violations (diplomacy, economic punitive measures, military deployment); attitude towards Germany´s economic relations with countries that violate human rights or democracy; assessment of the USA, France and Great Britain as reliable partners with regard to Germany´s security; future expectations with regard to an increase/decrease in violent conflicts in the world; attitude towards Germany assuming responsibility and a leading role with regard to NATO and UN missions, diplomatic mediation, development aid, fairness in trade policy; importance of the EU´s united stance on foreign policy issues; expectation of a more united stance of the EU on foreign policy issues in the future; attitude towards the establishment of the EU´s own military organisation in security policy; attitude towards future expenditure on the Federal Armed Forces and defence; assessment of the deployment of the Federal Armed Forces in various areas (defence of Germany in the event of a military conflict, participation in foreign missions, assistance in the event of disasters in Germany, equipment of the Federal Armed Forces); attitude towards arms exports; attitude towards the withdrawal of German soldiers from Afghanistan; assessment of Russian policy as a danger to the EU; assessment of dependence on Russia´s natural gas supplies; assessment of a Western hostility towards Russia and President Putin; attitude towards German economic relations with Russia in the event of democracy and human rights violations.

Demography: age (grouped); sex; education: highest school-leaving qualification or intended school-leaving qualification, completed studies; occupation; job security; occupational status; grouping of employees and civil servants; household size; number of persons in the household aged 16 and over; German citizenship; religious denomination; frequency of churchgoing; party sympathy.

Additionally coded were: Respondent ID; federal state; district of Berlin West/East; size of town; mobile phone/landline; weighting factors.