Crises and Conflicts

Attitudes towards the foreign policy situation. Germany´s international and European role. Aims and instruments of German foreign policy. International Relations. Foreign Relations of the EU. Defence and Armaments Policy.

Topics: 1. Foreign policy situation: most important problem worldwide (open); urgent problems worldwide; foreign policy interest: uncertain times in view of the global economic and political situation; expected secure future for Germany; areas of urgent need for solutions worldwide (refugees and causes of flight, climate change, the global economy and free trade, combating terrorism, peacekeeping and avoiding military conflicts); expected increase in violent conflicts worldwide; expected increase in larger waves of refugees; greater risk of terrorist attacks because of refugees in Germany; Islam as a threat to Western democracies; assessment of various conflicts and regions with regard to the potential threat to world peace.

2. Germany´s international role: opinion on Germany´s participation in conflict resolution (general and military); opinion on the participation of the Bundeswehr in international anti-terrorism operations; opinion on Germany´s influence in the world; opinion on Germany´s reputation in the world; opinion on the assertion of German interests towards other states; advocacy of permanent membership of Germany in the UN Security Council.

3. Objectives of German foreign policy: opinion on Germany´s commitment to the economic interests of German companies; Germany´s resolute commitment to democracy versus rather restraint; Germany´s resolute commitment to human rights versus rather restraint.

4. Instruments of German foreign policy: preferred instruments of human rights policy; opinion on the scope of development aid; opinion on the conditionalisation of development aid; combating the causes of flight in Africa: significantly fewer refugees through other EU development and economic policies; Germany can make a substantial contribution to combating the causes of refugee flight in Africa.

5. international relations: role of the UN in international peacekeeping; assessment of Germany´s relations with France, the USA and Russia; concerns regarding the policy of US President Trump; USA under Trump as a reliable partner of Europe; call for greater cohesion in Europe because of the policy of Donald Trump; concerns regarding the policy of Russian President Putin; too much dependence on Russian gas; assessment of Western policy towards Russia as too hostile.

6. EU external relations: importance of EU unity in foreign policy issues; expected greater EU unity in foreign policy issues; advocacy of a leading role for Germany in Europe; future world order: world power against which Europe must defend itself most strongly (China, Russia or the USA); opinion on the future involvement of the EU in the resolution of international conflicts; European security policy: preference for the establishment of a separate military organisation versus Europeans should use NATO for this purpose; advocacy of joint European armed forces under European supreme command

7. Defence policy and arms exports: opinion on increasing German defence spending to 2%; opinion on the future of NATO; opinion on the level of future spending on the Bundeswehr and defence or on military missions abroad (split half); conditions for German arms exports.

Demography: sex; age; school-leaving qualification or desired school-leaving qualification; university degree; occupation; occupational status; job security; household size; number of persons in the household aged 18 and over; party affiliation; federal state.

Additionally coded: Respondent ID; Berlin East/West; city size; reached via mobile or fixed network; weighting factor; mobile only: reached at home or elsewhere; reached via an additional fixed network number (homezone or home option) on the mobile phone; fixed network connection in the household; additional mobile phone number; fixed network: number of fixed network numbers and mobile phone numbers via which one can be reached; mobile phone ownership.