In the election campaign, consumer protection only played a subordinate role for the parties.

The 2021 consumer report that has now been presented shows that this topic is particularly close to the hearts of most people.

Consumer protection is very important for their personal safety, according to 90 percent of the annual Forsa survey commissioned by the Federation of German Consumer Organizations (vzbv).

Marcus Jung

Editor in business.

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The report identifies the digital and Internet as the most urgent problem - in other words, segments that were particularly in focus in professional and private life in the 18 months of the corona pandemic.

The findings of the 1500 surveyed consumers from all over Germany are sobering.

Around 56 percent of them see their interests not being adequately protected by the state and the authorities - a value that has been declining for years.

Compared to the previous year, it is nine percentage points less, in the first edition of the consumer report in 2016 it was 13 percentage points more.

Dispute over revocations

That coincides with the experiences of the consumer advice centers. A third of all complaints there in the first half of 2021 were related to digital services and products. At the top, according to vzbv board member Klaus Müller, refused and ignored revocations from retailers in e-commerce.

The poll took place from July to the beginning of August, several weeks before the general election. Consumers named the areas of care and health, consumer education, climate protection and sustainable consumption as well as private old-age provision as the most important topics for the upcoming government. “The consumer report shows where the shoe pinches and how a new federal government could build trust. It is remarkable that a clear majority is clearly in favor of rules that would provide more consumer and climate protection, ”says Müller. He also pointed out that many participants in the survey also consider social equality to be very important - which is “urgently needed in view of the current price crisis in fossil fuels”. As the FAZ reported in advance,In a position paper, vzbv and the German Tenants' Association call for lower electricity prices and a stronger cost allocation in the case of energy renovations (FAZ of October 14).

Müller emphasizes the discrepancy between people's expectations and their trust.

Expressed in figures: 86 percent see politicians as responsible for consumer protection.

But just under a quarter (24 percent) want to give her full confidence.

"A new government has to deliver more directly," warned Müller.

"Central challenges of our time such as digitization and climate protection can only succeed if politicians take consumers with them."