Youth: One third for AfD - two thirds are afraid of it

In a simulated state election for young people in Saxony, the AfD came out on top by a wide margin. 34.5 percent of under-18s voted for the party, according to the Saxony Children's and Youth Ring.

The CDU came in second with 16.2 percent, followed by the Left Party (11.8 percent). 8.5 percent of young people voted for the SPD and 5.7 percent for the Greens. The BSW achieved 4.8 percent - only just ahead of the party of satirist Martin Sonneborn (4.6 percent) - and would therefore not be represented in the state parliament.

The AfD's share of the vote was particularly high in Bautzen at 57.1 percent. There, too, the CDU (15.6 percent) followed at a considerable distance. Only the Left Party (6.5 percent) and the SPD (5.1 percent) managed more than five percent.

Children's and Youth Ring: "Worrying"

"The AfD's performance is of course worrying, as it shows that their ideas also resonate with young people," said Vincent Drews, Chairman of the Saxon Children's and Youth Ring. "We and all democratic actors have a clear mandate to continue to promote democratic values and stand up for them." The results impressively demonstrated the central role that child and youth work plays in society.

In total, more than 9,000 votes were cast in the U18 state election. The election is not a representative survey, but rather a project for political education. Young people were able to cast their votes at 150 polling stations throughout Saxony from August 19 to 23.

Youth election study: fear of AfD and Greens

The 2024 youth election study also published on Monday by the Institute for Intergenerational Research revealed that 65% of first-time voters in the east are afraid of the AfD (west: 74%). Many also fear the Greens (East: 30 percent, West: 25 percent).

"Young people now have real fears of political parties. And it's not just in the direction of the AfD, but also in other directions. That was a new picture for us," said institute founder Rüdiger Maas. In direct conversations with young people, for example, reference is often made to videos on social media that are supposed to show how dangerous the Greens allegedly are.

Shortly before the state elections in Thuringia and Saxony, the researchers from the Augsburg-based institute presented a study on youth voting behavior. They surveyed 870 people between the ages of 16 and 25 across Germany on a representative basis. In addition, 132 interviews were conducted with young people.

Tolerance towards other voting decisions

In the direct interviews, it also became clear to the researchers that despite the fears, there is also tolerance towards the voting decisions of other young voters - even if they vote AfD and vice versa. "They then say: that's my brother and that remains my brother, even if he votes left," said Maas. The classic left-right division is becoming less important, with around one in four rejecting it.

In addition, around 41% of respondents agreed with the statement that the government does not care about ordinary people. Around one in three had the impression that the government was working against the people. Migration was named as the most important problem, regardless of party preferences. Right-wing extremism and climate change followed in second place.