Research question/goal:

This project investigated the political attitudes and candidacies of individuals with different migrant backgrounds in Germany. Decades of immigration from diverse regions of the world have substantially increased the ethnic diversity of German society. In this context, understanding the political attitudes of citizens with a migrant background as well as their opportunities for political participation is essential for the functioning of such a multicultural society and provided the central motivation for this project.

Drawing on original survey data, the project’s first study explored attitudes towards general political issues—welfare, social issues, and migration policy—among citizens of Italian, Russian, and Turkish origin in Germany, also in relation to their migration generation and religion. We found substantial variation between the different groups of citizens with a migrant background and those without, which was driven not only by their country of origin, but also by their status as first/second migration generation, religious affiliation, and level of religiosity. The study thus provides important insights into the heterogeneity of political attitudes among migrant populations in Germany.

The second study analysed the attitudes towards a specific policy issue—sanctions against Russia in reaction to the invasion of Ukraine—among Turkish and Russian migrants in Germany. Based on original survey data, we found that both groups were less supportive of sanctions against Russia than their non-migrant counterparts.

The third study examined support for democracy among individuals with different migrant backgrounds in Germany, distinguishing respondents by their country of origin and their self-identification. We found that support for democracy was generally high across all groups; however, it was lower among those with a migrant background from Russia and, to a lesser extent, Turkey, suggesting an influence of anti-democratic communication from their countries of origin. Importantly, these differences were significantly smaller among respondents with a higher level of education.

Our final study examined the likelihood of migrant-origin political aspirants securing a nomination for a direct candidacy in the run-up to the Bundestag election 2021, also in intersection with their gender. It showed that those with a migrant background were less likely to be nominated for a direct mandate than their competitors without a migrant background. This difference was stronger in parties with more conservative social policy positions and among female aspirants, highlighting the relevance of an intersectional perspective. The study also showed that the diverse attitudes of migrant-origin citizens have trouble being represented in politics due to their representatives facing additional hurdles being nominated for office.