(MUNICH, September 21st 2021) In a few days, Germany will elect a new chancellor and it is already clear that Germans do not have much confidence in the three candidates Olaf Scholz, Annalena Baerbock and Armin Laschet. The data specialist CARFAX, together with YouGov, did a representative survey of whom the Germans would rather not buy a used car from. The result is sobering for the three.
The used car market does not have the best reputation in Germany. In fact, the saying “I wouldn’t even buy a used car from that person!” is widespread and expresses that a person is not trusted. CARFAX, specialist for used car histories, has therefore asked together with the opinion research institute YouGov population-representatively:
Suppose you want to buy a used car. Which of the three candidates for the chancellorship would you be most unlikely to buy a used car from?1 The results would be sobering for the three candidates: More than half of the respondents said they would not trust any of the candidates, and only about one in ten would buy a used car from all three candidates. In terms of individuals, Olaf Scholz generates the greatest trust among the population. This is in line with the current approval rating of the SPD candidate for chancellor in the state, with Annalena Baerbock of BÜNDNIS 90/Die Grünen and the CDU/CSU candidate Armin Laschet trailing behind. It is interesting to note that Olaf Scholz enjoys the greatest trust in all age groups, while young people in particular distrust Baerbock and Laschet. The general rejection of the three candidates increases with the age of the respondents; in the group 55 and older, the rejection is highest at almost 60 percent.
The survey by CARFAX and YouGov confirms the trends of recent months: all candidates are facing a lot of resistance, but looking at the individuals, Olaf Scholz currently seems to have the best chance of gaining people’s trust and thus becoming the new chancellor. Baerbock and Laschet would then have enough time to prove their qualifications as used car sales people! 1 The data used is based on an online survey conducted by YouGov Deutschland GmbH, in which 2,060 people participated between September 10, 2021 and September 13, 2021. The results were weighted and are representative of the German population aged 18 and over.
