A clear majority of German citizens holds a negative view of federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz more than 15 months into his term, according to a Forsa survey commissioned by RTL and ntv Trendbarometer. The results show that 78% believe Merz’s performance as Chancellor is poorer than they anticipated when he took office, while 20% feel his actions match expectations, and only 1% feel he exceeded them. Even among supporters of the CDU and CSU, 59% stated that Merz is performing worse than expected.
His performance lags significantly when compared to his predecessors. Only 17% of the public consider Merz a better Chancellor than Olaf Scholz (SPD), while 54% view him as worse, and 28% see no difference. This is a stark change from August 2025, when 31% rated Merz better than Scholz and only 19% rated him worse. The comparison with Angela Merkel is even more pronounced: only seven percent see Merz as a better leader than his predecessor, with a significant 71% rating him worse. This negative assessment holds true even among CDU and CSU supporters, where 57% shared this view.
The public also rates his personal and political attributes negatively overall. Twenty-seven% of citizens find Merz competent, 16% think he can explain his policies clearly, 15% consider him trustworthy, and 12% believe he understands public concerns. Only eight percent feel Merz is communicating with the public appropriately. Among Union supporters, 70% rated the Chancellor as competent and 52% found him trustworthy.
Furthermore, citizens offer strong criticism of the federal government’s social policies. A large majority-82%-do not believe that the current government policy is socially balanced and adequately addresses the needs of low- and middle-income earners, with only 14% agreeing. This criticism is particularly strong among SPD supporters, 88% of whom found the policy unbalanced. Conversely, 56% of CDU and CSU supporters deemed the government’s social policy balanced.
Despite these critical evaluations, a majority does not anticipate an early collapse of the governing coalition. 57% believe the coalition between the Union and the SPD will remain operational until the end of the year, while 33% expect it to dissolve sooner. SPD supporters remain the most optimistic at 77%, followed closely by CDU/CSU supporters at 71%. However, 55% of AfD adherents anticipate the coalition’s premature failure.
Finally, most citizens oppose a partnership between the Union and the AfD. Sixty percent agree that the CDU and CSU should absolutely exclude any collaboration with the AfD. While 35% believe the Union should consider working with the AfD in the future, strong divisions exist among supporters. 81% of CDU and CSU supporters back this clear demarcation; 82% of SPD supporters, 91% of the Greens, and 83% of the Left Party support it. In sharp contrast, 92% of AfD supporters are in favor of the Union collaborating with them.
