A new survey by the Bertelsmann Stiftung shows that only about 20 percent of Germans feel as secure as they did before the outbreak of war in Ukraine. Almost 70 percent of those surveyed say they worry that the war could spread to Germany. Yet a clear majority also say they are in favor of supporting Ukraine – only about 10 percent oppose such support. Even though the number of Covid cases decreased slowly this spring, people in Germany are once again cautiously optimistic. And although just short of 80 percent of respondents said in May that they view social cohesion in Germany as being in jeopardy, that is still four percentage points less than in February.
Those findings were presented by the Bertelsmann Stiftung at its 2022 annual press conference, whose participants included Ralph Heck and Brigitte Mohn, the members of the Bertelsmann Stiftung Executive Board, and Liz Mohn, president of the Liz Mohn Center and the foundation’s worldwide representative. "The Bertelsmann Stiftung is committed to helping create a strong Europe, and to promoting freedom and democracy as well as solidarity and goodwill," explained Heck, chairman of the foundation’s Executive Board. "The foundation and its employees are engaged participants in civil society. Civil society throughout Europe is currently challenged, and we at the Bertelsmann Stiftung also face the task of finding solutions that will allow us to live together in peace and freedom."
Liz Mohn, president of the Liz Mohn Center, which was established at the end of 2021, emphasized during the press conference how important it is to support democracy, especially now. "In light of recent developments, there is one thing we cannot forget: Democracy has been the most successful form of government in the West since the Second World War. Yet if we take democracy for granted, that itself is a threat to democracy. Democracy must continue to develop. It must continue to evolve. It must become more diverse, timely and sustainable," Mohn said. The Liz Mohn Center continues Mohn’s engagement at the Bertelsmann Stiftung in order to ensure her wide-ranging expertise and international network remain accessible. The center focuses on the four fields of International Relations, Future Leadership, Power of Culture and the new focus area Global Talents, which is designed to aid the younger generation in its participation in society and its personal development.