A recent survey conducted by Forsa for RTL and ntv has revealed the current state of public opinion in Germany. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), continue to hold the top spot with 26 percent of the vote, a lead of two percentage points over the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which garnered 24 percent of the support.
The Social Democratic Party (SPD) remains stable at 15 percent, while the Green Party and the Left Party both received 11 percent of the vote. The Free Democratic Party (FDP) secured 4 percent and the Bavarian Wildlife Party (BSW) held steady at 3 percent. The remaining parties collectively received 6 percent of the vote.
When asked who they trust to handle the country’s problems, respondents gave the CDU/CSU a two-point boost, with 24 percent now believing the parties to be competent. The SPD saw a slight improvement to 9 percent, while the Greens remained at 5 percent. The Left Party lost a point, dropping to 4 percent and the AfD saw an 11 percent share of the vote, with many respondents (45 percent) expressing a lack of trust in any party to effectively address the nation’s issues.
The survey also found that the economic mood remains tense, with 48 percent of respondents expecting a deterioration in the economic situation in the coming years, 26 percent anticipating an improvement and 24 percent predicting no change.
In a further finding, only 38 percent of the public expressed satisfaction with the work of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, with 52 percent dissatisfied. East Germans, AfD supporters and Left Party voters were particularly critical, while CDU voters were the most supportive, with 74 percent in favor of the Chancellor’s work. In contrast, only 44 percent of SPD supporters shared this sentiment.
The data was collected between May 20 and 26, with a total of 2,501 respondents participating in the survey. A separate survey of 1,003 individuals was conducted to gauge opinions on Chancellor Merz’s performance.