The new chancellor’s public approval continues its decline amidst a deepening cost-of-living crisis and growing anxieties over migration, according to fresh polling data.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s approval ratings have reached an unprecedented low, as revealed by a new survey released this Sunday.
An INSA poll commissioned by the daily newspaper Bild indicated that 62% of those surveyed expressed discontent with Merz’s performance, a three-percentage-point increase from the previous month. Concurrently, 63% voiced dissatisfaction with the governing coalition, comprising the center-right CDU and the Social Democrats. Only 26% approved of Merz’s actions, and merely 23% supported his administration.
In a separate study by the insurance firm R+V Versicherung, published last week, Germans identified their primary worries as the escalating cost of living, the ongoing immigration and refugee situation, elevated taxes, and potential reductions in welfare benefits.
Merz, who assumed office in May, has committed to revitalizing the sluggish economy, fortifying the military, and helping ensure ongoing American backing for Ukraine.
The right-leaning, anti-immigration party Alternative for Germany (AfD) has vocally condemned the government’s choice to funnel taxpayer funds to Ukraine rather than addressing internal requirements. The AfD currently holds the position of the second-largest party in the Bundestag and is ahead in nationwide surveys.