Defense Spending Target by NATO: Two-Thirds Support a Substantial Boost / June II 2025 ZDF Poll / Public Opinion Split on U.S. Strike on Iranian Nuclear Sites
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Germany's stance on defense spending is clear as day: a whopping 65% of citizens support a significant increase to achieve the NATO goal of investing 5% of GDP in defense and security by 2035. Interestingly, West Germans (68%) are more in favor compared to their East German counterparts (49%). With 30% of respondents rejecting this idea, it's safe to say there's a clear consensus brewing.
At the NATO summit, debate on defense spending was also heated, with President Trump reaffirming his commitment to the defense alliance. However, only 21% of respondents believe the US will continue to guarantee Europe's military security under Trump's leadership, while 73% don't. This has sparked an important need for Europe's allies to be able to defend themselves, with 90% of respondents expressing this sentiment.
As crucial discussions about defense spending unfold, the topic of conscription has also surfaced. Would reinstating conscription be the solution? 17% are in favor of conscription for men, while 45% support conscription for both men and women. Apparently, half (52%) of the younger generation (18-34) are against any form of conscription.
In the context of tensions between Israel and Iran, the US launched an attack on three of Iran's nuclear facilities last Sunday. While 42% of respondents found the attack justified, 47% condemned it. The majority of CDU/CSU supporters sided with the US, while other supporter groups were predominantly critical of the intervention. Moreover, only 27% believe military confrontations between Israel and Iran will soon cool down, with 69% doubting it.
Projecting the results of the next federal election, the CDU/CSU would improve to 29%, while the AfD would slide to 22%. The SPD and Greens would remain steady at 15% and 12%, respectively. The Left and other parties would see slight losses, with the Left reaching 10%. With these numbers, a government consisting of CDU/CSU and SPD would just miss a parliamentary majority.
The top 10 politicians were assessed based on their popularity and performance. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius leads the pack with an average score of 2.1. Lars Klingbeil, Johann Wadephul, and Friedrich Merz follow closely behind. Katharina Reiche, Robert Habeck, Markus Söder, Alexander Dobrindt, Sahra Wagenknecht, and Alice Weidel round off the list.
Seven weeks into office, Friedrich Merz enjoys a positive assessment from 57% of the population for his performance as Federal Chancellor. Interestingly, Merz receives even better ratings for his work in international politics, with 63% giving him a thumbs up.
Lars Klingbeil and Baerbel Bas, set to be re-elected as SPD party leaders, meet with mixed public opinion. While 41% believe they will lead the SPD to success, 40% remain skeptical. Among SPD supporters, however, there is a clear majority of 73% who are optimistic about their leadership. Klingbeil's performance as Finance Minister receives predominantly positive feedback, with 47% approving of his job.
The new federal budget, which allows for record-high debt, is met with mixed opinions. More than half (55%) believe that taking on this substantial debt is the right move in the face of current challenges, while 39% disagree. Support for these record-high debts is high across the board, but most supporters of AfD, BSW, and FDP express criticism.
Data sources:
- [1] The Local Germany
- [2] Deutsche Welle
- [3] The Washington Post
- [4] Politico
This poll was conducted by the Mannheimer Forschungsgruppe Wahlen between June 24-26, 2025, with 1,378 randomly selected eligible voters. The study represents the eligible population in Germany, with a margin of error of approximately +/-3 percentage points for a proportion of 40% and +/-2 percentage points for a proportion of 10%.
- The policy-and-legislation regarding defense spending in Germany has been the subject of much debate, with a significant number of citizens expressing support for increasing spending to achieve NATO's goal.
- Apart from defense, Germany's politics has seen discussions revolving around conscription, with a substantial proportion of respondents in favor of reinstating it for both men and women.
- General-news, crime-and-justice, and accidents have also graced the headlines, as Germany faced the fallout from car-accidents and fires, as well as debating its stance on certain crimes.
- In a separate realm, the topic of West and East Germans' perspectives on US involvement in war-and-conflicts, such as that between Israel and Iran, has emerged, with varying opinions across different political groups.
