Immigrant voters against their will: a focus group analysis of identities, political issues and party allegiances among German resettlers during the 2017 bundestag election campaign

This article provides an analysis of the political preferences of ethnic Germans who emigrated from the Soviet Union or its successor states. These resettlers (Aussiedler) and their descendants represent the biggest group of immigrant voters in Germany and reveal a rare combination of citizenship, ethnic identity and party support that makes it particularly interesting for applying existing approaches to immigrant voting behaviour. The analysis explores the link between identity, political issue and candidate orientations, and the (traditionally high) support of resettlers for the Christian Democrats. It also addresses the possibility of Germany’s newest Radical Right Party – the Alternative for Germany – attracting this particular group of voters. Evidence for both of these trends can be identified based on a series of focus groups conducted in early 2017, pointing especially to the role of group identity and immigration policy preferences.