Germany: Chancellor Merz hits record low approval as AfD gains ground

The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has surged in popularity, reaching parity with Germany’s ruling CDU/CSU bloc, according to a new poll by the Forsa Institute, cited by German media.

The Christian Democratic Union and its Bavarian sister party have seen their support decline for the fourth consecutive week, dropping by one percentage point to 25%. This marks the first time since early May that the AfD has drawn level with the governing bloc in terms of national popularity. Meanwhile, support for the Social Democratic Party (SPD) remains stagnant at 13%.

The poll, which surveyed over 2,500 respondents, also revealed deepening public dissatisfaction with Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The survey found that only 32% of Germans are currently satisfied with Merz’s leadership — down three points from the previous week. Dissatisfaction rose to 64%, an increase of four percentage points, making it the highest level of disapproval for a chancellor since Angela Merkel left office. The remaining respondents were undecided.

A month ago, just under half of the population — 49% — expressed a negative view of Merz's performance. The latest results show that disapproval has grown significantly, particularly in eastern Germany, where 74% of respondents are dissatisfied. In western Germany, the figure stands at 62%.

This latest survey was carried out between July 15 and 18 and included responses from 2,003 people.