Survey: Majority of Executives See Democracy as an Economic Factor

The respondents apparently differentiate between different levels of relevance. 9 percent classify it as business-critical, while 44 percent, according to the survey, regard democratic stability as an important prerequisite for planning certainty, investments, and economic development. 25 percent take the view that a stable democracy is indirectly relevant to their company, for example as part of a stable economic environment. According to the information, 17 percent of those surveyed opted for the answer variant "Democratic stability is primarily important for society, but hardly relevant to the economic success of the company." Five percent of those surveyed did not venture an opinion on this question.

Risks and Public Positioning

The survey also names which aspects of democracy are particularly important from the perspective of business. "Von den verschiedenen Aspekten der Demokratie am wichtigsten sind den Führungskräften in Deutschland laut Umfrage der Schutz von Grund- und Freiheitsrechten sowie Rechtsstaatlichkeit und eine unabhängige Justiz sowie freie und faire Wahlen."

The respondents see risks primarily from political actors who call democratic principles into question. Just under two-thirds (62 percent) see a risk here. In contrast, 29 percent of executives do not see this. At the same time, a clear majority of those surveyed consider it a good thing if their own company publicly takes a position on fundamental democratic issues. "Das gilt auch für öffentliche Äußerungen gegen Extremismus oder antidemokratische Bewegungen." When it comes to praising or criticizing a specific political party, however, executives are more hesitant: "Eine politische Partei öffentlich zu loben oder zu kritisieren, ist dagegen etwas, was Führungskräfte mehrheitlich eher skeptisch sehen."

Majority Considers EU Membership Beneficial

The survey also provides differentiated results regarding Germany's EU membership. "Doch dass Deutschland Mitglied in der Europäischen Union ist, hält eine Mehrheit von 58 Prozent der befragten Führungskräfte am Ende doch für vorteilhaft für das eigene Unternehmen." Only 13 percent of executives thus see more disadvantages than advantages. 27 percent of those surveyed assessed EU membership as neutral with regard to company success.

The European Movement Germany is a non-partisan association of organizations that advocates for a united Europe. It commissioned the survey to examine the attitude of the German economy toward democracy and European integration.

Overall, the survey paints a picture of an economic elite that predominantly views democratic stability as a framework for entrepreneurial success but tends to hold back on party-political statements. The results suggest that many companies see a connection between political constitution and economic planning certainty — and are mostly willing to publicly advocate for this, without committing themselves to individual parties.