A recent survey conducted by Verian for the German news magazine “Der Spiegel” reveals a mixed public assessment of the current federal government’s performance. Polling data, gathered from 1,000 individuals between July 9th and 11th, indicates that more than half of eligible voters (55%) view the government’s work unfavorably.
Specifically, 34% characterize the government’s actions as “rather poor” while 21% deem them “very poor”. Conversely, 41% express a more positive evaluation. Supporters of the Union parties demonstrated significantly higher approval (80%), while those aligned with the AfD and the Left party registered considerably lower positive assessments (7% and 12%, respectively). Notably, the current government fares better than its predecessor, the “traffic light” coalition, which faced a 71% disapproval rating in December 2023.
The survey also probes public opinion regarding the federal government’s decision to incur substantial new debt to bolster both infrastructure and defense capabilities. A majority (56%) supports this approach, with opposition largely concentrated among AfD supporters. Concerns regarding immigration levels remain prevalent, with 57% of respondents believing that current levels are too high – a marginal decrease from the 65% who held this view in December 2023.
A ranking of prominent politicians, included within the survey, places Defense Minister Boris Pistorius at the top. SPD party leader and Labour Minister Bärbel Bas occupies a mid-range position. Green party politician Cem Özdemir and SPD co-leader and Vice-Chancellor Lars Klingbeil also command respectable scores. Among the leaders of the two Union parties, Friedrich Merz (CDU) currently outranks Markus Söder (CSU).
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt enters the ranking in seventh place, representing a significant increase of 17 percentage points compared to 2018. Conversely, CDU parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn experiences a decline of 18 percentage points from his position in 2021, marking an all-time low in the survey’s measurements.