The cityscape on Kurfürstendamm in the German capital Berlin during the construction of the Christmas market

In today’s Handelsblatt Morning Briefing, one topic in particular is the subject of much discussion: Germans’ sense of security is at a new low. According to an Infratest dimap survey commissioned by ARD, only one in two people feel safe in public spaces – five percentage points less than in February. In 2017, the figure was 75 per cent.

Women perceive the situation as particularly critical: only 45 per cent feel safe, compared to 56 per cent of men. The feeling of insecurity is particularly strong among AfD supporters – 79 per cent of them say they do not feel safe.

However, the 2024 police crime statistics paint a mixed picture: the total number of crimes fell by 1.7 per cent, while offences against personal freedom rose by 5.3 per cent and sexual violence by as much as 9.3 per cent.

This finding is likely to further fuel the political debate on internal security – not least after the recent statements by CDU leader Friedrich Merz.