According to a recent Infratest poll of 1,319 eligible voters for the ARD broadcast, two‑thirds of Germans (66 %) believe that restricting the right to part‑time work only to employees who are raising children, caring for relatives or furthering their education would steer policy in the wrong direction. Only 30 % see the proposal as moving in the right direction.
The suggestion was introduced by the CDU’s economic wing. Rejection of the idea is widespread, even among the party’s own supporters. Among followers of the Left it is rejected by 86 %, by the Greens 84 %, by the SPD 64 % and by the AfD 63 %. CDU/CSU supporters also largely reject it, with 56 % voting against it, while only 41 % (four out of ten) of Union voters think the proposal is correct.
Other measures that are currently under discussion to increase full‑time employment and stimulate the economy enjoy strong public backing. A substantial majority-94 %-support improvements to the public provision of care and child‑care services, whereas only 3 % view such measures as wrong. An easier immigration regime for foreign skilled workers is also favoured by 65 % (a rise of 9 percentage points since April 2024), whereas 27 % oppose it. Flexibility in working‑time rules is likewise popular; 57 % approve of the government’s plan to shift from a daily maximum to a weekly maximum work‑time, while 37 % disagree.
In contrast, a majority reject the abolition of the “marriage‑tax split” the tax advantage granted to married couples in which only one partner works or earns significantly more. Fifty‑seven % prefer to keep the split in place, whereas 30 % argue for its abolition. A similar pattern emerges for the early‑retirement exemption for long‑time insured individuals, often referred to as the “retirement at 63”. Two‑thirds (65 %) think that abolishing this exemption would be wrong, whereas 27 % believe it should be eliminated.
Regarding overall economic leadership, German voters still largely place trust in the Union (CDU/CSU). Thirty‑one % view the Union as the party most capable of advancing the German economy-a figure 6 percentage points lower than the 31 % reported in the September 2025 ARD “Deutschlandtrend”. In September 2022 the Union’s rating had also been 31 %, marking its lowest level to date. Comparatively, 18 % attribute economic competence to the AfD, 9 % to the SPD, while support for the Greens remains unchanged at 6 %, for the FDP at 5 % (down 1 percentage point), for the Left at 3 % (unchanged), for the BSW at 1 % (down 1 percentage point) and for other parties at 1 %. Twenty‑six % either answer “don’t know” or do not trust any party to move the German economy forward.
