According to a new survey conducted by the Ipsos Institute, the public view of Germany’s situation across nearly all central political areas under the current CDU/CSU and SPD government has deteriorated rather than improved. The exception is the readiness and capability of the Armed Forces, where the impression of progress predominates.
The survey, published on Tuesday, found that under the current federal government, roughly a third of Germans (32 percent) perceive an improvement in the German military’s readiness, while 30 percent see a decline. An equal 32 percent reported no change. This makes defense policy the most highly rated sector. However, this score is still significantly lower than the expectations recorded in June 2025, shortly after the government took office, an amount 21 percentage points lower than the figure from that time.
The most striking divergence between initial expectations at the start of the legislative period and current public perception is observed in the economy and transport infrastructure. In the new Ipsos survey, only 10 percent stated that Germany’s economic standing has been strengthened, while 65 percent saw no change. Consequently, the percentage of respondents perceiving an improvement in the economic situation since the coalition began is 32 percentage points below the expectation set in June 2025.
Regarding the expansion and modernization of transport infrastructure, 12 percent recognized progress, while half of the population (50 percent) reported setbacks. This leaves a gap of 25 percentage points compared to initial expectations.
In the areas of domestic security and crime fighting, only 15 percent of citizens perceive an improvement, and 46 percent report declines. The share of positive ratings thus falls 22 percentage points short of the figures from June 2025.
The assessment of pension security deviates least from last year’s expectations. The share of people who perceive progress in pension policy missed the expectations set shortly after the government was formed by only 9 percentage points. Nevertheless, skepticism remains dominant in this area: only 11 percent of Germans mention improvements, while about two-thirds (65 percent) evaluate the development under the CDU/CSU and SPD as negative.
In key areas of modern change, such as digitalization, climate protection, and bureaucratic reduction, the impression is largely one of stagnation. Regarding digitalization, 39 percent indicated the situation has neither improved nor worsened; 36 percent noted setbacks, though 19 percent did register progress.
Concerning climate protection, 40 percent reported no change. Only 9 percent believe that the federal government has implemented effective climate protection measures. Additionally, negative assessments prevail: 46 percent of Germans see setbacks in climate protection.
In the area of bureaucratic reduction, 38 percent considered the situation unchanged, 49 percent considered it declining, and only 12 percent found improvements. The most negative judgment was reserved for the creation of affordable housing. Only 6 percent of Germans see any improvements in this sector, while a clear majority of 69 percent perceives setbacks under the current government-the lowest rating among all political fields assessed. Despite already low expectations from the previous year, the rate of those perceiving progress is 13 percentage points below the figure recorded in June 2025.
Ipsos reported that the survey was an online poll conducted among 1,000 eligible voters aged 18 to 75 in Germany. The results were weighted by age, gender, education, region, and voting behavior in the last federal election. The survey took place from July 3rd to July 5th, 2026.
