Confidence in Scholz, state institutions in freefall
The trust that Germans have in their political institutions is at an all-time low. The values are particularly catastrophic compared to the previous year. Within a year, the decline noted is simply huge.
Published: January 10, 2023, 4:45 am
Under Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), state institutions in Germany experienced an enormous loss of trust.
At 33 and 34 percent respectively, only a third of Germans still trust the institutions “Federal Chancellor” and “Federal Government”. This corresponds to a decline of 24 or 22 percentage points compared to 2022. The parliament – the German “Bundestag” – is also losing a lot of support: Only 37 percent trust it. That is a minus of 13 points.
Confidence is even dwindling in the institution of a Federal President
The Forsa Society for Social Research and Statistical Analysis came to these conclusions after an extensive survey.
It has been conducting what is known as the “Institutions Trust Ranking” in Germany for 15 years. This year, the opinion research institute interviewed 4 003 Germans on behalf of ntv/RTL.
Traditionally, Germans place a lot of trust in the institution of the “Federal President”. But even here a decline of twelve points to 63 percent was recorded. A survey by the German Civil Servants Association had previously come to a similar conclusion. According to it, only 29 percent of Germans still trust the state.
Loss of confidence in the East particularly strong
Confidence in the “European Union” (31 percent) and “political parties” (17 percent) has also plummeted – in both cases a decline of seven points each was registered. Confidence in eastern Germany is particularly low. Even the “Federal President” is only trusted by 53 percent of respondents. In the West it is 65 percent.
Only 20 percent trust the “European Union” (West: 33 percent) and “political parties” did very badly, with only eleven percent placing any trust in them.
Economic outlook becoming dismal
Experts expect a further increase in the number of insolvencies in the coming months. Prominent examples such as the department stores’ chain Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof, the toilet paper manufacturer Hakle, the furniture manufacturer Hülsta and the car supplier Borgers could be harbingers of a growing wave of bankruptcies.
In addition to higher energy costs, supply chains remain under pressure and consumers may be reluctant to spend because of inflation.
There is another trigger for bankruptcies increasingly coming into focus: rising interest rates. They make loans more expensive and thus threaten not only companies in sectors that have been problematic for years, such as retail, but also those that have significantly increased their debt in recent years.
In view of the permanently friendly economy, banks and other financiers were extremely generous. Moreover, the record low interest rates made it possible to borrow money at almost zero cost.
According to data from Barkow Consulting, companies were still paying 1,5 per cent interest for a five-year loan a year ago. By mid-December, it was around four percent.
The drastic increase in financing costs is likely to leave its mark on highly indebted companies in particular. In a recently published study, the rating agency Standard & Poor’s predicted that the rate of loan defaults among European companies could be more than twice as high as a year ago. In Germany, 14 700 companies filed for insolvency in 2022, according to Creditreform data.
All rights reserved. You have permission to quote freely from the articles provided that the source (www.freewestmedia.com) is given. Photos may not be used without our consent.
Consider donating to support our work
Help us to produce more articles like this. FreeWestMedia is depending on donations from our readers to keep going. With your help, we expose the mainstream fake news agenda.
Keep your language polite. Readers from many different countries visit and contribute to Free West Media and we must therefore obey the rules in, for example, Germany. Illegal content will be deleted.
If you have been approved to post comments without preview from FWM, you are responsible for violations of any law. This means that FWM may be forced to cooperate with authorities in a possible crime investigation.
If your comments are subject to preview by FWM, please be patient. We continually review comments but depending on the time of day it can take up to several hours before your comment is reviewed.
We reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive, contain slander or foul language, or are irrelevant to the discussion.

NOAA Predicts Zero Sunspots for Almost the Whole 2030s
CLIMATEThe United States' government scientific organization, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), predicts zero sunspots from 2031 to 2040. This is an extreme situation that has not occurred in as long as humanity has been counting sunspots, and it leads us into uncharted territory in terms of our solar system. However, this prediction aligns with the warnings of the world-renowned solar researcher Valentina Zharkova for many years, who indicated in 2019 various signs of this catastrophic phenomenon, including the extreme hailstorms we have seen in Europe and the world this summer. The forecast and various observations this year give cause for very significant concern. In this unique analysis, Free West Media explains why.

European Nationalist Parties Forge Cooperation Ahead of EU Elections
EUROPEAN ELECTIONSOn Saturday, August 26, representatives of six European nationalist parties gathered in Budapest. The meeting was initiated by the Hungarian party Mi Hazánk and took place in the national parliament. Representatives of the parties signed a joint declaration that not only reaffirms the parties' friendship but also their unity on a range of complex political issues. A surprisingly clear and radical manifesto was established. The hope is that this cooperation will lead to success in the EU elections and eventually result in the formation of a group in the European Parliament. For Swedish nationalism, this meeting marks a success as Sweden, for the first time, has a party represented in a leading nationalist cooperation in Europe. Free West Media was present at this historic event.

Turkey Believes Sweden Hasn’t Done Enough
Sweden will have to wait a bit longer for NATO membership, according to Turkey's Justice Minister Jilmaz Tunc. First, Sweden must extradite the "terrorists" Turkey wants and stop the desecration of the Quran.

Swedish Weapon Takes Down Russia’s Best Attack Helicopter
The Russian attack helicopter Ka-52 is considered one of the world's best and has struck fear in Ukraine, where it has hunted down tanks and other armored vehicles, often beyond the range of many light anti-aircraft systems. However, it has met its match in the Swedish air defense missile system RBS 70, which has quickly led to significant losses for the Russian helicopter forces.

Strong Confidence in German AfD
Alternative for Germany (AfD) held a party conference on July 29-30 to select candidates for the upcoming EU election next year. EU Parliament member Maximilian Krah, belonging to the party's more radical, ethnonationalist faction, was appointed as the top candidate. The party's two spokespersons delivered powerful speeches criticizing the EU's failed migration policy and trade sanctions that isolate Europe and Germany from the rest of the world. They argued that it's time for the EU to return a significant portion of its power to national parliaments. However, they have dropped the demand for Germany to exit the EU.

The Establishment Wants to Ban Germany’s Second Largest Party – for the Sake of Democracy
The rising popularity of AfD has raised strong concerns within the establishment. Despite lies and demonization in the media and isolation from the overall political establishment, the party continues to grow. Certain representatives of the party are accused of becoming increasingly "extreme," and in an unusual move, the influential weekly newspaper Der Spiegel demanded that AfD be "banned."

Dutch FvD break through the media blockade
What is happening in the Netherlands? It is often difficult to follow events in other countries, especially when distorted by system media. We give Forum for Democracy (FvD) the opportunity to speak out on the political situation in the Netherlands and the staunch resistance they face in trying to save the country.

The Ursula von der Leyen Affair
After a criminal complaint in Belgium against the President of the European Commission, the so-called SMS-case, now takes a new turn. The judge responsible for the investigation will likely gain access to the secret messages exchanged between Ursula von der Leyen and Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer, at least if they haven't been deleted.

Publisher of Unique Literature Worldwide Blocked by International Distributor
Arktos has distinguished itself by publishing groundbreaking philosophers and social critics. Now, the publisher's international distributor has abruptly terminated the cooperation, and more than 400 already printed titles cannot reach their audience. There is strong evidence that the distributor has been under pressure, something that has also happened in Sweden. We have spoken with Arktos founder Daniel Friberg about the ongoing struggle for freedom of speech in a shrinking cultural corridor.

Care prompts bishops to criticize transgender ideology
The Catholic bishops of the Scandinavian countries presented an open five-page letter criticizing transgender ideology on March 21, just before Easter. The document primarily expresses care and advice and was read aloud in Catholic churches in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland. Cardinal Anders Arborelius, Bishop of Stockholm, is one of the signatories of the document.