Recent polling data indicates a shift in voter sentiment within Germany, revealing a decline in support for the conservative bloc comprised of the CDU and CSU. The latest ZDF Politbarometer places the combined support at 27 percent, a two-point decrease and below their performance in the February election.
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) is gaining momentum, now standing at 24 percent, an increase of two points. The Social Democratic Party (SPD) remains stagnant at 15 percent, while the Green Party experiences a one-point drop to 11 percent. The Left Party has seen a slight increase, reaching 11 percent. Both the BSW and FDP parties remain significantly below the five percent threshold, currently polling at three percent each. A residual category for other parties accounts for six percent of respondents.
Public satisfaction with the current federal government has noticeably diminished. Only 49 percent now rate the coalition’s work as “rather good” a decline of 11 points compared to previous measurements. Similar dissatisfaction is reflected in the approval ratings of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, affiliated with the CDU, who has also seen his support decrease by eight points to a comparable level. While a minority (41 percent) believes the current black-red coalition is performing better than the previous “traffic light” coalition, this marks a tightening of perceived effectiveness.
Regarding the ongoing dispute surrounding the delayed election of a constitutional judge, a significant 48 percent of those surveyed believe the conservative bloc should participate in the selection process and vote for SPD candidate Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf. Only 14 percent anticipate the Social Democrats proposing an alternative candidate, while 19 percent suggest that Ms. Brosius-Gersdorf’s withdrawal would be the most desirable outcome.
