A recent poll conducted by Verian and published by “Der Spiegel” indicates a mixed public perception of the current German federal government. The survey, based on responses from 1,000 individuals collected between July 9th and 11th, reveals that over half of eligible voters (55%) view the government’s performance negatively.
Specifically, 34% believe the government is performing “rather badly” while 21% rate it as “very bad”. Conversely, 41% hold a “rather positive” opinion. Distinct ideological divides are evident in these perceptions, with strong supporters of the Union party expressing approval (80%) and those aligned with the AfD and the Left party demonstrating significantly lower positive evaluations (7% and 12%, respectively). Nevertheless, the current government fares better than its predecessor, the “traffic light” coalition, which faced a 71% disapproval rate in December 2023.
Regarding economic policy, a majority (56%) of respondents support the federal government’s decision to incur significant new debt to bolster both infrastructure and national defense capabilities. This position is largely opposed by those who identify as AfD supporters.
Concerns about immigration remain prevalent, with 57% of the respondents believing that current levels of immigration are too high. While this figure represents a slight decrease from December 2023 (a reduction of 8 percentage points), it still indicates significant public concern.
The survey also features a ranking of prominent politicians. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius continues to lead the list, followed by SPD party leader and Labour Minister Bärbel Bas in a middle-ranking position. Green party politician Cem Özdemir and SPD co-leader and Vice-Chancellor Lars Klingbeil also demonstrate favorable ratings. Among the leaders of the two Union parties, Friedrich Merz (CDU) now outranks Markus Söder (CSU).
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt enters the ranking in seventh place, marking a 17-percentage-point increase since September 2018. Conversely, CDU parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn experiences a notable decline, falling by 18 percentage points compared to June 2021 (when he served as Minister of Health) and reaching a record low in the survey.
