In order to try and prevent the country’s healthcare system from being overloaded, German lawmakers have banned the sale of fireworks in the lead up to New Year’s Eve. A survey has revealed that two-thirds of the population agree with the move.
A survey by the research institute YouGov has revealed that Germans largely agree with the decision to ban private fireworks on New Year’s Eve. Around 66 percent of respondents agreed with the measures implemented by the federal and state governments, whilst only 27 percent indicated that they did not agree with the decision. 7 percent of the respondents did not provide any information.
When it comes down to political affiliation, Greens voters are mostly behind the ban on fireworks. Of the respondents that vote for the Greens, 84 percent were for the fireworks ban. SPD voters were also particularly for the fireworks ban, with 76 percent of them indicating their support. Voters for the Left also largely supported the ban (72 percent), as did CDU voters (68 percent) and FDP voters (58 percent). Only AfD voters rejected the ban, with 59 percent of them against it.
Last week, Germany’s Federal Council agreed to ban the sale of fireworks in the days leading up to New Year’s Eve for the second year in a row. The reason behind the decision to ban fireworks is to protect the country's healthcare system and emergency services from being overloaded.
The last time fireworks were on sale for private use in Germany was in 2019. At that time, consumers spent 122 million euros on pyrotechnics. This year, the German customs office in Frankfurt an der Oder has said it expects 2,5 to 3 tons of illegal fireworks to be smuggled into the country, as Germans look to countries abroad in a desperate attempt to be able to use pyrotechnics in their Silvester celebrations.