A new poll conducted by Forsa reveals a tightening of the political landscape, with the Alternative for Germany (AfD) now polling at 25 percent, matching the support for the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU). This represents a slight decline for the CDU/CSU, losing one percentage point from the previous week, while the AfD gains a corresponding point.
The Social Democratic Party (SPD) maintains its standing at 13 percent. The Green Party and the Left Party both register at 12 percent, with the Left Party experiencing a single-point increase. The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) remains at 4 percent, while the Free Democratic Party (FDP) falls to 3 percent, a decrease of one point. Other parties collectively account for 6 percent of voter preference.
When assessing perceived political competence, the CDU/CSU leads with 23 percent, followed by the AfD at 11 percent. The SPD and the Left Party each secure 6 percent, while the Green Party gains 5 percent. A significant 47 percent of respondents express a lack of confidence in any party’s ability to solve the nation’s challenges.
Economic sentiment has marginally worsened compared to the previous week’s results. Only 23 percent of those surveyed anticipate an improvement in the economic situation, a slight increase of one point. A majority, 54 percent, forecast a deterioration, also an increase of one point, while 20 percent expect the economic conditions to remain unchanged, a drop of two points.
The poll also assessed public perception of Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU). A narrow majority views him as a strong leader, with 54 percent agreeing with the statement. This sentiment is particularly prevalent among CDU/CSU supporters (84 percent), but also finds resonance among those who favor the SPD (62 percent) and the Green Party (53 percent).
However, evaluations regarding Merz’s trustworthiness paint a considerably more negative picture. Only 29 percent consider him trustworthy, while 67 percent disagree. Notably, nearly a third (30 percent) of CDU/CSU supporters themselves express reservations about his trustworthiness. Doubts are particularly strong among supporters of the AfD (only 3 percent agreement), the Left Party (11 percent), the Green Party (23 percent) and the SPD (23 percent).
The data, collected between July 25th and 21st, is based on a sample of 2,502 respondents. A separate assessment of perceptions of Chancellor Merz, involving 1,008 participants, was conducted within the same period.