The study indicates that people's trust in politics is declining in Germany.
85% confidence
OtherGermany
Omissions
The OECD 2026 survey qualifies the German decline as 'slight' (high or moderately high trust in the federal government fell from 36% between 2023 and 2025) and notes that on average across OECD countries trust levels have 'stabilised' since 2023 — the decline is real but modest, not a collapse.
The SVR policy brief stresses that political trust in Germany had remained 'remarkably stable for a long time' before the decline observed between 2022 and 2024, so the downward trend is a recent development rather than a long-standing erosion.
The R+V study's overall average fear index remained at the previous year's level; the decline in trust in politics is one component of a broader picture of economic pessimism and political scepticism.
The MEP referenced 'the study' without naming it; the most consistent match is the R+V 'Ängste der Deutschen 2026' study published shortly before the session.
Sources
PrimaryR+V Versicherung — Studie 'Die Ängste der Deutschen 2026' (press release)Gleichzeitig sinkt das Vertrauen der Menschen in die Politik. Wirtschaftlicher Pessimismus und politische Skepsis bestimmen 2026 die Ängste ... 59 Prozent der Bevölkerung befürchten, dass die Lebenshaltungskosten stark steigen.