Stiftung Für Zukunftsfragen / Foundation For Future Studies Publishes new European Study: Why is the Number of Voters Going to the Polls Declining? Representative Face-to-Face Survey in 10 Countries With Over 12.000 Citizens

HAMBURG, Germany - The three important reasons why less people are voting are:

- Because they believe that election promises are not kept (60%) - Because they are basically dissatisfied with politicians and political parties (57%) - Because they do not believe that something can be improved by voting (49%)

In addition for almost half (45%) of the people surveyed, politicians are no longer moral role models nowadays. Fewer and fewer politicians still stand for values such as trust, reliability and honesty or exemplify these values through their own lives. This calls into question the credibility of politicians and at the same time the ability of politics to function. More than two out of every five people surveyed (44%) also believe “that their vote has no influence,” but at the same time they also have “little interest in politics” (40%). And about one person in every seven (15%) even admits openly that he’s “got better things to do than to go and vote.”

Dr Ulrich Reinhardt of the Foundation quotes on the Study: “In consequence, people are turning away from politics, preferring to moan and complain rather than taking on responsibility themselves. As a result, they encourage what they find fault with, letting other people decide for themselves. What is also lacking is a relationship with the politicians, who are regarded more like bureaucrats than as representatives of the people. In order to win back people’s confidence, parties as well as politicians would have to offer more reliability, a more individual profile, more prospects and less compatibility, staging and thinking in legislative periods.”

For further information see: foundationforfuturestudies.org Contact: Dr. Ulrich Reinhardt Tel. +49(0)40-4151-2448

Source: STIFTUNG FUER ZUKUNFTSFRAGEN / Foundation for Future Studies

For further information see: foundationforfuturestudies.org, Contact: Dr. Ulrich Reinhardt, Tel. +49(0)40-4151-2448