A recent Deutschlandtrend survey by Infratest Dimap for ARD-“Tagesthemen” and WELT has revealed a significant dissatisfaction among Germans with the performance of the Ampel government led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz. A staggering 85 percent of respondents expressed discontent with how the government parties interact with each other, how they explain their policies to citizens, and the actual content of their actions. Despite this negative assessment, only 22 percent believe that a CDU/CSU-led government would handle Germany’s challenges better. The survey also highlighted doubts about potential CDU candidate Friedrich Merz, with only 26 percent considering him a suitable chancellor candidate.
Interestingly, while the majority of respondents do not see a clear alternative to the Ampel government within the CDU/CSU, the union is still favored in the upcoming European Parliament elections. The CDU and CSU combined hold a 29 percent preference among voters, followed by the SPD at 15 percent, the Greens and AfD at 14 percent each, the FDP at four percent, and the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance at six percent. It is worth noting that 12 percent are inclined towards “Other” parties, which may indicate the potential entry of smaller parties into the European Parliament due to the absence of a threshold clause.
The Deutschlandtrend survey also revealed a growing interest among Germans in increased EU integration, with 48 percent believing that member states should delegate more responsibilities to the European Union. This marks a 14-point increase from June 2023. Additionally, 41 percent see more benefits than drawbacks in EU membership, with “Peacekeeping” emerging as the top priority issue for 26 percent of respondents, followed by “Social Security” at 23 percent, “Migration” at 17 percent, and “Climate and Environmental Protection” at 14 percent.
Interestingly, the topic of peacekeeping is surprisingly less significant for AfD supporters, with only 17 percent expressing interest compared to other party supporters. Despite the AfD’s Russia-friendly stance and campaign slogan of “protecting peace,” the survey suggests that their agenda may not align with the concerns of their base. The Deutschlandtrend survey sampled 1479 eligible voters aged 18 and above through a combination of telephone and online interviews, while the European political sentiment survey was conducted among 1515 eligible voters aged 16 and above using a similar methodology.
