Nearly a year after Germany’s federal election, most voters judge the current ministers less favorably than their predecessors. A survey by the Insa Institute, conducted for Bild’s Tuesday edition, shows that only 22 % of respondents think Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) is performing better than former Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD). In contrast, 35 % assess Merz’s performance as worse, while 33 % believe it to be about the same.
For the Finance Ministry, 22 % of participants view Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) favorably compared to his predecessor Christian Lindner (FDP); 25 % see him in a poorer light, and 35 % consider the two roughly equal.
Other ministries also received lower ratings than their predecessors: Economy Minister Katherina Reiche (CDU), Labour Minister Bärbel Bas (SPD), Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig (SPD), Health Minister Nina Warken (CDU), Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder (CDU), and Infrastructure Minister Verena Hubertz (SPD). Only Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) were rated better by a larger share of voters than worse compared to their predecessors.
The Insa survey, taken between 13 and 16 February 2026, involved 1,001 eligible voters.