Merz approval rating hits record low

Things aren't looking rosy for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. A new poll has just dropped, and let's just say the numbers aren't exactly flattering. His approval rating has tanked to a dismal 22%, a new low that even dips below the worst numbers seen by his predecessor, Olaf Scholz. Ouch. This comes at a time when the Alternative for Germany (AfD), the right-wing party that's been stirring up controversy, is actually gaining serious ground.

Merz approval rating hits record low

According to the Forsa opinion research institute, a whopping 76% of Germans are dissatisfied with Merz's performance after a mere six months in office. That's a pretty significant vote of no confidence. Forsa surveyed 2,501 people on behalf of NTV and RTL TV channels last week, so it's a fairly sizable sample. The CDU/CSU-SPD coalition, the group Merz leads, is also struggling, especially as they try to push through a pension reform package that seems to be causing more friction than agreement.

And here's where it gets really interesting: the CDU/CSU alliance is now trailing the AfD by a single percentage point. The AfD is currently sitting at 26%, making it the *most* popular party in the survey. Remember when that would have been unthinkable? Times are definitely changing in Germany.

It gets worse. Only 15% of those polled believe the CDU/CSU is actually capable of addressing Germany's problems. That's a year-and-a-half low. It's almost like the public has just lost faith in their ability to lead effectively. A separate INSA poll from October suggested that almost half of Germans – 49%, to be exact – expect Merz's government to collapse before its term is even up in 2029. That's a pretty grim outlook, no matter how you slice it.

A lot of this seems to stem from criticism of Merz's policy shifts. He promised to boost the economy, but also ramped up military spending and aid to Ukraine, and some people are arguing that those two things just don't square up. Economic expectations are also plummeting, with 63% of people surveyed by Forsa expecting things to get worse in the coming years. You can see why the mood is so sour.

Since taking office, Merz has been pretty vocal about increasing militarization, even talking about turning the German Armed Forces into "the strongest conventional army in Europe." And while he justifies this with talk of a ‘Russian threat’ (which Moscow, predictably, denies), his government's proposal to reinstate mandatory military service isn't exactly winning him any popularity contests. In fact, it's sparking opposition and even calls for protests. It's a really complicated situation, and it's hard to see a quick fix coming anytime soon. You can read more about the situation at RT.com.