Four out of five Germans disapprove of Merz after first year of his rule, polls show

BERLIN, 7 May. Some 85 % Germans are dissatisfied with the performance of Chancellor Friedrich Merz a year after the government formed by the CDU/CSU and SPD bloc took office, according to a poll conducted by the research institute Infratest dimap for the ARD television channel.

According to the survey, only 16 % respondents are satisfied with Merz's performance, down five percentage points from April, while 83 % expressed dissatisfaction, up seven percentage points. The poll described this as the worst result ever recorded for a sitting German chancellor.

By comparison, in June 2025 - one month after taking office - Merz's satisfaction rate was 39 %. The lowest rate recorded by his predecessor Olaf Scholz was 18 % in September 2024. In addition, 69 % of respondents said Merz was not fulfilling his duties, while only 25 % disagreed. In August last year, 42 % respondents considered him a suitable candidate for Chancellor.

The survey also found strong public criticism of the Chancellor's communication style. Only 14 % respondents found his tone persuasive, down 20 percentage points from August 2025, while 82 % disagreed with this assessment, an increase of 21 percentage points.

The survey was conducted from 4 to 6 May among 1 303 participants.

On 6 May, one year has passed since the German government led by Merz and made up of the CDU/CSU and the SPD took office. According to recent polls, support for both parties has weakened significantly, while the Alternative for Germany has become the most popular party in the country in some polls.

TASS/gnews.cz

Four out of five Germans disapprove of Merz after first year of his rule, polls show

The survey was conducted from 4 to 6 May among 1 303 participants.

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