“New Report Reveals Slow Decline in Germany’s Governance Performance, Weeks Ahead of Parliamentary Elections”
A new scientific report released by the Berggruen Institute, the Luskin School of Public Affairs at UCLA, and the Hertie School has highlighted the declining state of governance in Germany. The report, titled “Germany 2025 – Slow decline in governance performance erupts into crisis of government as geopolitics worsen”, was conducted using the Berggruen Governance Index (BGI) and analyzed the years from 2000 to 2021.
According to the report, Germany’s high levels of governance have masked long-standing political, economic, and social fractures that have been “festering over years”. The researchers behind the report warn that the country has “rested on its laurels for far too long” and urgent reforms are needed to address these issues.
The 2024 BGI measures democratic accountability, delivery of public goods, and state capacity on a scale from 0 to 100. The report reveals that Germany has lost ground on all three measures, with structural problems becoming more apparent since the chancellorship of Angela Merkel (2005-2021). The Democracy Accountability Index, for example, has dropped from a near-perfect score of 99 in 2000 to 93 in 2021.
The data also suggests that Germany’s economic success in the 2010s has masked some of the country’s state capacity and democratic accountability challenges. However, the report highlights economic troubles that have worsened in recent years, largely due to a lack of public investment in critical areas such as digitalization and transport infrastructure.
The release of this report comes just weeks ahead of the February 23 parliamentary elections, which were called early after the ruling three-party coalition collapsed in November. Intra-governmental fighting over how to address the country’s ailing economy was a major factor in the coalition’s break-up.
The report also highlights a decline in social trust in Germany, with a possible new government under the conservative CDU/CSU alliance and its candidate for the chancellorship, Friedrich Merz, poised to further exacerbate divisions. The economic difficulties faced by the country have only heightened uncertainty and discontent, with migration emerging as another major flashpoint.
The report notes that rhetoric on economic scarcity is often used to fuel tensions over migration, which are exploited by both the extreme right and left. This has been further exacerbated by a recent deadly stabbing, in which a migrant facing deportation from Germany is the main suspect.
However, the report argues that immigration is essential to Germany’s future growth and any future government will need to reconcile anti-immigrant attitudes with the social reality of integration and the economic necessity of attracting foreign-born workers.
In the midst of these issues, Merz has promised a hard line on migration in case of an election victory and has even pushed through a vote in parliament on proposals for tightening immigration controls. This has caused outrage from other political parties, with many Germans alarmed at the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in recent years.
According to the latest opinion polls, the conservative CDU/CSU is in the lead with 28-34%, followed by the AfD with 19-21%, and the SPD with 15-19%. The Greens are polling at 12-15%, while the FDP may not clear the 5% threshold necessary to enter the Bundestag.
The Democracy News Alliance, a collaboration between Agence France-Presse (AFP), Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata (ANSA), The Canadian Press (CP), Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa), and PA Media (PA), has provided this material for use by all recipients without the need for a separate subscription agreement. The DNA content is produced by editorial units that are not involved in the production of the agencies’ main news services and operates independently.
Contact: Democracy News Alliance, Christian Röwekamp, roewekamp.christian@dpa.com
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.