Chancellor of the center-right (CDU) has been in office for almost 100 days. This is the time to take stock of the new government’s overall performance.
Back in May, Merz stated in an interview that he could no longer understand what goals Israel was pursuing in . Most recently, the chancellor unequivocally called on Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to alleviate the suffering of the approximately two million people living in the narrow coastal strip on the Mediterranean. Unlike France, the UK, and Canada, however, Germany is still hesitant to recognize a Palestinian state.
On Friday, the German government imposed a partial export ban on military equipment to Israel. Germany will “not approve any exports of military equipment that could be used in the Gaza Strip until further notice,” Chancellor Friedrich Merz said.
Do people in Germany think this is the right course of action? According to the latest poll, a clear majority believes that the chancellor should increase pressure on Israel.
However, the fate of the hostages still being held captive by the Islamist terrorist group Hamas remains the main concern.
Both Merz and his predecessor, Olaf Scholz of the center-left (SPD) which is currently Merz’s junior coalition partner, had always emphasized that they believed Germany still had a special responsibility for Israel’s existence.
But among voters surveyed this week, only 31% still think so. For the latest edition of public broadcaster ARD’s “Deutschlandtrend,” the opinion research institute infratest-dimap surveyed 1,321 eligible voters between August 4 and 6 of this year.
Four out of ten pleased with Merz
Friedrich Merz has been focusing primarily on foreign policy: He visited US President at the White House, showed Ukraine support in its defense against , and called on Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to show restraint in the Gaza Strip.
Domestic policy has been focusing on the fight against.
The , and health systems are in desperate need of reform. However, the latest survey shows a lack of confidence in the government’s ability to take the necessary measures to make these areas future-proof.
The results of the general election on February 23 saw a rise of the far right. This trend has continued: Twenty-four percent of respondents now say they would vote for the far-right (AfD) party. The conservative CDU/CSU bloc remains in the lead with 27%. The three other parties represented in the , the SPD, the , and the , see their numbers unchanged.
Friedrich Merz has seen his popularity ratings decline. In February, before the election, voters expected Merz to effectively combat irregular immigration. Now, they are not so confident. Four out of ten respondents believe that Merz is up to the job — only his own party’s supporters are truly satisfied.
Over the next few years, €500 billion ($581 bn) are to be made available for new railways, roads, and better schools, with at least the same amount again for upgrading the Bundeswehr. This is a clear departure from the Conservatives’ campaign promise not to take out any new loans.
Only 26% of those surveyed now believe that Merz is someone who can be trusted. That is three percent less than in February.
US tariffs: Major concerns about the German economy
US President Donald Trump continues his sometimes drastic tariff policies. He has imposed a 15% tariff on most goods from the European Union, and 50% on steel and aluminium. The US, in turn, is exempt from tariffs on exports to the EU. This agreement with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is highly controversial.
Germans remain concerned about economic stability. A clear majority of respondents to the latest poll are concerned or even very concerned that the US tariffs will further hurt the German economy. However, the number of people expressing concern has gone down – this is seen as a consequence of Trump’s fluctuating policies.
This article was originally written in German.
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