According to a survey conducted by the polling institute YouGov, commissioned by “Welt am Sonntag”, sentiment across Germany reveals that more than half of the population has lost patience with the strained center-right and center-left coalition. Specifically, 47% of respondents favor the dissolution of the current governing alliance.
Regarding what should happen if the coalition ends prematurely, a clear preference pattern emerged among the German public. While 38% favor calling snap elections, only 9% prefer the formation of a minority government led by the CDU/CSU. Furthermore, 30% wish for the current coalition to continue, leaving 24% of respondents undecided about the three scenarios.
These preferences vary significantly based on geography. Trust in the coalition has suffered more pronouncedly in the East German states compared to the West. The poll found that 46% of East Germans favored an immediate end to the “Black-Red” coalition followed by new elections, compared to 35% in Western states. Conversely, the desire to maintain the existing government is stronger in the West (31%) than in the East (22%). Notably, wanting a minority government is desired by only 9% in both regions.
Age groups also show distinct trends. The desire for immediate elections is most prominent among the 50-59 age bracket (46%), followed by those aged 40-49 (41%). However, among the youngest voters (18-29), the scenario of snap elections is preferred by only 27%.
Party affiliation adds another layer of complexity to the poll results. Union supporters, for example, appear largely disappointed: 45% wish for Merz to continue ruling alongside the Social Democrats, while 22% favor new elections, and 20% support a change to a Union-led minority government. Support for continuing the coalition remains highest among SPD voters (56%), though 22% of them also called for new elections. Among the Green Party’s supporters, the desire for the coalition to continue is also relatively strong, at 48%, with 18% favoring new elections.
The survey gathered data from 2,353 German citizens between May 8th and May 11th.