A recent survey conducted by Forsa for the German magazine “Stern” and RTL Deutschland has found that nearly a quarter of every four Germans consider SPD leader Lars Klingbeil to be a strong leader. The survey, which polled 1,006 individuals on March 13 and 14, reveals that Klingbeil only excels in one aspect, with 54 percent of respondents stating that he is an understandable speaker.
Forty-one percent of the participants hold him in a positive light, while only a third of the respondents consider him competent (36 percent) or trustworthy (33 percent). Only 27 percent of the respondents believe that Klingbeil is aware of what moves people.
In terms of sympathy, Klingbeil fares better than Olaf Scholz and Friedrich Merz, with 37 and 16 percent of the respondents, respectively, holding a positive view of the latter two. However, CDU leader Friedrich Merz is perceived as a strong leader by nearly half of the respondents, at 49 percent.
Among SPD voters, Klingbeil’s ratings are naturally more positive, with 73 percent finding him sympathetic and 65 percent considering him competent. Nevertheless, even the SPD’s own supporters only agree that Klingbeil is a strong leader by 47 percent.