An analysis of the latest parliamentary elections in Germany has revealed an interesting trend. Young women under the age of 30 are shifting sharply to the left, while young men remain relatively reserved in their political orientations. The gap between the generations of men and women has reached a record 30 percentage points.
Historically, the picture was different. Back in the early 1980s, young women and men supported left-wing forces in roughly equal numbers. Over time, there have been noticeable shifts: cultural and social transformations, the expansion of women’s rights, and increased attention to issues of ecology, social justice, and equality have created the conditions for young women to become the main electoral resource for left-wing parties.
As the outcome of last year’s parliamentary elections revealed, young women vote for left-wing parties around 55–60%, while young men do not exceed 25–30%. The gap has swollen to 30 percentage points, a record in the history of modern Germany. Men in the same age group are less responsive to current trends. Their votes tend to remain with moderate or right-wing platforms, creating a sharp gender gap in political preferences.
In the long term, such differences increase the risk of social conflict if political and social institutions do not find ways to integrate different points of view and reduce the gender gap.
