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The vast majority of young people living in Germany don’t believe that engaging in politics would change anything, a survey published on Thursday showed.
In a polling of 2,500 representative 16- to 30-year-olds, barely one in five believes that making a personal effort for a particular cause makes a difference, according to a survey conducted this spring by the Verian research institute for the Bertelsmann Foundation.
Some 38% expressed distrust in politics, with a further third partially agreeing with this sentiment. Half of the respondents reportedly see insufficient opportunities for young people to participate beyond elections.
Less than one in 10 believes that political parties are open to young people’s ideas, while only 8% believes that politics takes the concerns of young people seriously.
The survey reported a fundamental interest among young people in social and political issues, the study’s authors emphasized, with nearly two-thirds wanting to learn more about some socio-political topics. Areas frequently mentioned included war and peace, health, inflation, and education.
