A recent poll indicates a continued decline in public satisfaction with Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the current governing coalition. Conducted by the opinion research institute INSA for “Bild am Sonntag” the survey reveals that only 31 percent of respondents express satisfaction with the Chancellor’s performance, while 56 percent offer a critical assessment. This marks the lowest approval rating since he assumed office. Thirteen percent of those surveyed offered no opinion.
The trend of declining approval reflects a broader sentiment toward the government. Satisfaction with the work of the CDU/CSU and SPD parties now stands at 30 percent, with 58 percent expressing dissatisfaction. This represents a significant shift compared to early June when dissatisfaction was reported at 44 percent and satisfaction at 37 percent.
The INSA poll, based on a sample of 1,203 individuals surveyed between July 21st and 25th, 2025, further illustrates changes in projected party support. The CDU/CSU currently polls at 27 percent, while the SPD stands at 15 percent. Combined, these figures would no longer constitute a governing majority. The AfD is positioned as the second-strongest party with 24 percent support, followed by the Greens with 11 percent and the Left party with 10 percent (a decrease of 1 percentage point). The recently formed Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) has also experienced a slight decline, now at 4 percent (down 1 percentage point). The FDP’s support currently sits at 3 percent. Other parties collectively garner 6 percent of the projected vote (+2 percentage points).
A separate, rapid assessment of Chancellor and government satisfaction, conducted between July 24th and 25th, 2025, involved surveying 1,003 individuals.