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German Public Opinion on Defense and the Bundeswehr

Author

Listed:
  • Niklas Potrafke
  • Emil Scholten
  • Tuuli Tähtinen
  • Konstantinos Theocharopoulos

Abstract

Expanding military personnel and expenditure depends on public support and social legitimacyCrisis events such as 9/11 and the 2014 annexation of Crimea have influenced public attitudes toward military investment, with support intensifying significantly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022Perceptions of threat and security responded more strongly to 9/11 and the 2022 invasion than to the 2014 annexation of CrimeaIn Germany, right-leaning voters show the strongest support for expanding military capabilitiesAt the European level, trust in NATO remains notably lower than trust in national armed forces

Suggested Citation

  • Niklas Potrafke & Emil Scholten & Tuuli Tähtinen & Konstantinos Theocharopoulos, 2025. "German Public Opinion on Defense and the Bundeswehr," EconPol Forum, CESifo, vol. 26(03), pages 10-16, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:epofor:v:26:y:2025:i:03:p:10-16
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ioannis Choulis & Zorzeta Bakaki & Tobias Böhmelt, 2021. "Public Support for the Armed Forces: The Role of Conscription," Defence and Peace Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(2), pages 240-251, February.
    2. Florian Dorn & Niklas Potrafke & Marcel Schlepper, 2024. "European Defence Spending in 2024 and Beyond: How to Provide Security in an Economically Challenging Environment," EconPol Policy Reports 45, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich.
    3. Qari, Salmai & Börger, Tobias & Lohse, Tim & Meyerhoff, Jürgen, 2024. "The value of national defense: Assessing public preferences for defense policy options," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    4. Veit Bachmann, 2010. "From Jackboots To Birkenstocks: The Civilianisation Of German Geopolitics In The Twentieth Century," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 101(3), pages 320-332, July.
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