According to a recent survey conducted by Forsa, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) remains the strongest political force, maintaining its leading position with 27 percent support. The CDU/CSU held steady at 22 percent. Meanwhile, the Green Party dropped by one percentage point, reaching 15 percent. The SPD reported 12 percent, the Left Party (Linke) held at 11 percent, and the FDP maintained 4 percent. Notably, the share of non-voters and undecided citizens remains high at 25 percent, exceeding the level recorded during the 2021 federal elections.
When respondents were asked about which party was best equipped to solve problems in Germany, changes were minimal. The Union and the AfD were tied at 14 percent. The Greens registered 8 percent, the SPD 6 percent, and the Linke 4 percent. A clear majority at 52 percent still expressed a lack of confidence in any single party’s ability to solve the country’s major problems.
The economic outlook continues to be pessimistic. Only 14 percent of citizens anticipate an improvement in the situation, compared to 66 percent who expect things to worsen. Eighteen percent expect no change.
The public’s satisfaction with CDU Chancellor Friedrich Merz remains very low, with only 14 percent of the general population expressing contentment with his work, and 84 percent being dissatisfied. Dissatisfaction is also dominant among Union supporters, with 52 percent expressing dissatisfaction versus 47 percent being satisfied. Surveys reveal particularly strong criticism among supporters of other parties: the SPD saw 18 percent satisfied versus 81% dissatisfied; the Greens at 10 percent satisfied to 89% dissatisfied; the Linke at 2 percent satisfied to 96% dissatisfied; and the AfD registered only 1 percent satisfied versus 98% dissatisfied.
In terms of alternative leadership, a clear majority does not view CSU Chairman Markus Söder as a superior candidate to Friedrich Merz, with only 25 percent agreeing and 70 percent disagreeing. Specific regional and party loyalties heavily favor Söder, however, with 41 percent approval in Bavaria and 53 percent among CSU supporters.
Evaluating the North Rhine-Westphalia Minister-President, Hendrik Wüst, yielded more varied results: 39 percent of the public felt he was more suitable for the Chancellery than Merz, 36 percent disagreed, and 25 percent were undecided. Wüst enjoys particular high approval rates in North Rhine-Westphalia (60 percent) and among Green Party supporters (56 percent).
These data were collected by Forsa on commission for RTL Deutschland between May 5 and May 11, 2026, from a basis of 2,501 respondents.
