Germans most worried about war and soaring prices: Report

BERLIN (AA) - The war in Ukraine and rising prices are the top worries for the German public at the moment, according to a new study.

Climate change and concerns that energy supplies may no longer be secure are also still on the minds of slightly more than one in two people in Germany.

These are the findings of the Security Report 2023, which the Allensbach opinion research institute presented together with the Center for Strategy and Higher Leadership on Tuesday.

According to the survey, inflation and war are major concerns for more than 80% of the population age 16 and older.

Some 57% fear that income inequality in society could grow or that a wave of refugees could once again come to Europe.

A total of 82% of those surveyed said that the greatest danger in the coming years would come from Russia, while 60% instead pointed to China.

The results of the report also show that trust in the United States is higher in western Germany than in eastern Germany, perhaps reflecting deep Cold War-era divisions.

While 50% in western Germany consider the U.S. to be a reliable alliance partner, only 26% in the eastern states see it that way.

That the ongoing conflict in Ukraine continues to preoccupy Germans is also shown by the current opinion trend of the Insa polling institute.

According to Tuesday's figures, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock plummeted from fourth to eighth place on the popularity scale.

Baerbock has taken a hard line against Moscow since the start of the war in Ukraine and advocates extensive arms deliveries to Kyiv.

In a nearly opposite move, politician Sahra Wagenknecht of the Left Party improved in popularity, jumping from ninth to fourth place.

Wagenknecht advocates a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine conflict and rejects arms deliveries to Kyiv.