A recent survey indicates a level of dissatisfaction among the German public regarding the performance of Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his governing coalition, a joint effort between the CDU/CSU and SPD. The Insa poll, conducted for “Bild am Sonntag”, reveals that 59% of respondents express dissatisfaction with Chancellor Merz’s work, while 30% report satisfaction.
Comparatively, assessments of Merz’s performance against his predecessor, Olaf Scholz, are lukewarm. Only 26% believe Merz is performing better than Scholz, while 27% view his performance as worse. A significant 41% perceive no discernible difference. In contrast, after 100 days in office in March 2022, a relative majority of 43% expressed satisfaction with Scholz’s performance, against 41% who were dissatisfied.
The survey also highlights dissatisfaction with the overall performance of the current coalition government. 60% of respondents report dissatisfaction, while 27% express satisfaction and 13% remain undecided. When compared to the previous “traffic light” coalition consisting of the SPD, FDP and Greens, 28% perceive the current black-red coalition as better, while 24% view it as worse and 38% see no clear trend.
The accompanying Insa Sonntagstrend reveals ongoing challenges for the governing parties in terms of electoral support. The CDU/CSU currently stand at 27% and the SPD at 15%. The AfD remains strong at 25%, while the Greens are at 11%. Die Linke has fallen to 9% and both the FDP and the BSW are at 4%, failing to clear the 5% threshold for parliamentary representation. Other parties collectively garner 5% of the vote.
The surveys were conducted by Insa between August 7th and 8th, 2025 (1,004 respondents) for the assessment of the Chancellor and government satisfaction and between August 3rd and 8th, 2025 (1,204 respondents) for the Sonntagstrend.
