Forsa, the German public‑opinion research institute, has criticized that politicians are concentrating on the wrong issues. In a comment to the Saturday edition of the “Rheinische Post”, Peter Matuschek, Forsa’s managing director, noted that “many political actors consider migration to be the most important topic, yet for ordinary citizens the state of the economy is by far the biggest concern” – a conclusion drawn from the latest “Deutschland‑Monitor 2025” data.
Matuschek said that during the federal election many voters expected the government to put more emphasis on the economy. He added that the Merz‑led coalition has so far fallen short of those expectations, harming overall satisfaction with and trust in the federal government.
Given the AfD’s strong polling performance ahead of the state elections in eastern Germany, Matuschek urged that democratic parties keep their “buffer wall” against the AfD. He insisted that politicians in Saxony‑Anhalt and Mecklenburg‑Vorpommern must clearly demonstrate to residents that they are addressing their local problems in order to rebuild trust.