Voter Polarisation in Germany: Unpolarised Western but Polarised Eastern Germany?

ABSTRACT Recently, the concept of polarisation has experienced a considerable upturn and made its way into the public debate. As far as the German case goes, it has been argued that the electorate is becoming increasingly polarised and that a rift is running through society. The tendency is said to be particularly pronounced in the eastern part of the country, as can be deduced from the electoral successes of the Left Party and the AfD. This paper empirically tests this argument on the basis of ALLBUS data in the period since reunification. Using in particular the left-right self-placement and in addition three policy items connected with the GAL-TAN dimension as measures for ideological preferences, it appears that no conclusive evidence for this hypothesis can be found – neither in Eastern nor Western Germany. Yet, the findings are different with regard to the policy issue of immigration. Here, a clear antagonism between supporters and opponents of immigration can be identified. Based on the overall findings, it would, however, be a misconception to conclude that the German electorate is polarised. On the contrary, looking at the different developments in Western and Eastern Germany, in recent years a tendency toward a belated ideological unification has become apparent.