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alphaspirit / smarterpix

Voting motives in the 2025 federal election

Results from representative surveys on reasons for voting and important influencing factors among voters

The results of the federal election merely reflect the actual voting decisions. What remains invisible, however, is the motivation behind voters' decisions to support certain parties. What were the decisive factors?  Was it an easy decision for voters, or were there alternative parties? In which political camps did voters switch allegiances, and what factors played a decisive role in the election campaign? The answers are provided by the evaluation of representative data collected before the federal election campaign and after the federal election.

Dominik Hirndorf
December 4, 2025
Monitor
smarterpix / digitalgenetics

Better performance – Less static: Why Germany’s federal administration needs reform

More pooling of resources – fewer federal agencies – and a “Whole-of-Government” ap-proach

Germany’s federal administration employs over 500,000 people in 946 agencies – yet efficiency declines, costs soar, and trust erodes. Root cause: outdated ministerial structures and duplication of tasks. This paper advocates a paradigm shift: pooling HR, IT, and procurement in specialized agencies, consolidating oversight, and reducing redundant authorities. Guided by the coalition agreement and modernization agenda, the proposal champions a “Whole-of-Government” approach to break silos, accelerate decisions, and enable digital transformation – for more efficiency and effectiveness.

Gesprächskreis Staatsmodernisierung der Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung
December 1, 2025
Monitor
IMAGO / Depositphotos

Global Health as a Strategic Imperative – Health in the context of security and peace

Speeches by Hermann Gröhe and General Major Dr. Jürgen Meyer at the World Health Summit 2025

Global health is now a strategic imperative: pandemics, antimicrobial resistance, biotechnology, and climate change threaten not only public health but also security and stability worldwide. The speeches delivered at the World Health Summit 2025 analyze how health policy, resilience, and international cooperation can strengthen peace and security – and why investments in health are a central task for the future.

Lukas Lingenthal
November 19, 2025
Monitor
smarterpix / wasja

Government support for civil society

Time for a fresh start

Since spring 2025, controversy has continued to rage over the political neutrality of civil society organisations and their funding by the public sector. How did the accusation of party political appropriation arise? And how can the state, politicians and civil society return to working together for the common good?

Tobias Montag
October 6, 2025
Monitor
SmarterPix / shtefanyelizaveta

Voting behaviour of people with a migration background

A representative analysis of the voting behaviour in particular of people of Polish, Russian and Turkish origin as well as ethnic German repatriates

Representative results on the voting behaviour of people with a migrant background show significant changes, particularly in the last five years. In this context, the voting behaviour of specific groups, such as those of Turkish, Russian or Polish origin or late repatriates, is always of interest to politicians. Which parties are favoured by Germans with and without a migrant background, as well as by foreigners? Where are the differences and similarities? What political attitudes can explain these voting intentions?

Dominik Hirndorf
September 30, 2025
Monitor Election and Social Research
Adobe Stock / Gorodenkoff

Integration agreements in Europe and implications for Germany

The coalition agreement plans to introduce mandatory integration agreements – an instrument already established in other countries

Integration agreements are part of immigration and migration policy in some European countries. They are intended to provide additional incentive for those affected to commit themselves and better fulfil the general requirements for obtaining residence rights.

Dr. Franziska Rinke, Dr. Ferdinand Weber
September 19, 2025
Monitor
Adobe Stock / Nongkhane; generiert mit KI

Water is becoming a critical resource

Perspectives for climate-resilient water management in Germany and the EU

Water scarcity is increasing worldwide – including in Europe and especially in Germany. Extreme weather events as a result of climate change cause costly damage and endanger livelihoods. At the same time, water supplies are coming under pressure due to pollution, overuse and the generation of renewable energies. Economic and ecological conflicts are the consequences that could also endanger security and social cohesion in the future if countermeasures are not taken in time. 

Gisela Elsner
September 15, 2025
Sustainability Monitor
Adobe Stock / nmann77

Analyse des Grundsatzprogramms der AfD im Licht der Extremismustheorie

Über Verschwörungstheorien, ethnisch-biologistische Identitätsvorstellungen, die Ablehnung pluralistischer Demokratie und Einschränkungen von Grundrechten

Im AfD-Grundsatzprogramm von 2016 zeigen sich Strukturelemente extremistischen Denkens. Die AfD konstruiert ein Freund-Feind-Schema („Volk“ vs. „politische Klasse“) und propagiert die Theorie eines „Großen Austauschs“. Freiheitsrechte wie Presse-, Religions- und Wissenschaftsfreiheit werden relativiert. Die Partei idealisiert eine ethnisch homogene Gesellschaft und stellt sich gegen die freiheitlich-demokratische Grundordnung.

Dr. Viola Neu
August 27, 2025
Monitor Election and Social Research
IMAGO / NurPhoto

Poland’s East Shield

A comprehensive approach to secure NATO’s Eastern Flank

In 2024, Poland launched the East Shield Program: a massive defence infrastructure project along its borders with Belarus and Russia. A separate project from the border wall with Belarus, it aims to deter conventional attacks through surveillance, mobility infrastructure, and physical obstacles. Poland’s North-Eastern borders are also the external borders of NATO and the EU. Supporting the project strengthens European security and reduces costs in the long term, as deterrence is cheaper than defence.

Shaheen Gaszewski
August 15, 2025
Monitor
Adobe Stock / Ali

Security Threats and Chances in the Baltic, High North and Indo-Pacific

Common Connections and Shared Concerns – Opportunities for Interregional Maritime Security Cooperation

Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and wider geostrategic developments highlight the growing connection between Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific defence and security concerns. The opening of the Arctic and the High North through melting sea ice will also bring the two regions closer together strategically. These links present opportunities but also prioritisation challenges for Baltic and northern European states.

Nick Childs
June 17, 2025
Monitor

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About this series

The Monitor series deals with one main topic at a time from the perspective of KAS experts and places it in the political and social context on the basis of a few key points.

Order details

The contributions appear exclusively online and can therefore not be ordered.

 

The current main topics are “Development policy”, “Sustainability” and “Election and social research”. The contributions of these sub-series are presented for you on separate overview pages in addition to the overall series.