Freedom of expression is increasingly being restricted in Germany, with 74% of citizens saying they prefer not to speak their minds openly about certain topics for fear of the consequences, according to a new survey by pollster Insa.
This may be due to the large number of people who have recently been fined for criticizing politicians on social media. After making political criticisms, a lot of elderly people have been subjected to their homes being searched by police officers. The data suggest that draconian enforcement measures are having a devastating impact on freedom of expression, especially among young people and those with socially conservative values," international news agency V4NA reports.
53 percent of the respondents aged between 18 and 39 reported that they have experienced situations where they felt they could not speak openly. By contrast, among those aged 70 and over, this figure drops to 24 percent, indicating that younger generations are significantly more affected by the phenomenon. Political affiliation plays a major role in the perception of the freedom of expression: 74 percent of the voters of the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) admitted to having used self-censorship at least once, followed by 57 percent of the voters of the left-wing Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW). In contrast, supporters of left-wing parties feel much less constrained: only 27 percent of Green Party supporters said they have hesitated to express their opinion, while 31 percent of the governing Social Democrats (SPD) had the same experience.
When asked more generally whether they think some people avoid speaking out for fear of the consequences, 74% of respondents said yes. This was even higher among AfD and BSW voters, at 91 and 90 percent respectively, suggesting that concerns about freedom of expression are indicative of a systemic problem in Germany.
The results underline the deepening divide over the state of the freedom of expression in Germany, where younger generations, right-wing voters and even moderate voters have expressed fears of censorship or backlash.
While some parties and their supporters remain confident that they can express their opinions freely, the data depict a society increasingly wary of expressing views, especially as legal action and public rebukes continue to dominate the public discourse.
Cover photo: Illustration (Photo: AFP)
