ZDF-„Politbarometer“: Sympathiewerte für Merz fallen auf neuen Tiefstand

Berlin - The German Chancellor Friedrich Merz continues to see a decline in public support, according to a new ZDF "Politbarometer" survey. The CDU leader scored a low of -1.9 on a scale of +5 to -5, marking a personal all-time low for Merz, higher than a previous -1.5 in July. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) scored 1.3, while SPD leader Lars Klingbeil remained at -0.6.

AfD leader Alice Weidel scored the lowest at -2.5. Merz's support within his own ranks is also under scrutiny, with 80% of respondents, including 67% of CDU supporters, saying the CDU does not wholeheartedly support the party leader. Similarly, in the SPD, 53% and 52% of respondents were doubtful about the unconditional support of party chiefs Lars Klingbeil (28%) and Bärbel Bas (22%).

AfD continues to lead with 27% support, followed closely by the Union at 22%. Both parties have lost a percentage point since July. The SPD remains at 12%, the Greens gain one point to 14%, and the Left stays at 12%. If a Bundestag election were held on Sunday, the Left would remain unchanged. The FDP continues to stand at 4%. All surveys come with inherent uncertainties, mainly due to weakening party allegiances and shorter decision-making periods before elections, making polls mere reflections of the momentary public sentiment rather than prognostic tools.

The Mannheimer Forschungsgruppe Wahlen surveyed 1,319 eligible voters via telephone and online for the ZDF "Politbarometer" from August 17-19. Statistical error tolerance for a 40% share is approximately ±3 percentage points, and for a 10% share, around ±2 percentage points. The data is regarded as representative by the institute.