Merz drops to last place in German politicians’ popularity ranking

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has plummeted to last place in popularity ratings of the country's top 20 politicians, according to a survey published by the BILD newspaper on Tuesday.

Merz slipped from 18th to 20th place, becoming Germany's most unpopular politician as he scored only 28.9 points.

What stands out in this poll is that Merz's decline in popularity is not only a nationwide trend but also within his own voters. Even among supporters of his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party and its junior partner, the Christian Social Union (CSU), he ranks only near the bottom.

Only 10% of respondents among CDU/CSU voters have a positive opinion of Merz, while 58% have a negative opinion. He is outperformed by other prominent conservative politicians, such as CSU leader Markus Soder, North Rhine-Westphalia State Premier Hendrik Wust, and Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt.

Merz has been grappling with the mounting economic effects of the Iran war, including rising fuel costs. On Monday, the chancellor said he does not see what exit strategy the US has in the conflict.

Last week, Germany slashed its growth forecast for this year and next. The conservative-led coalition of Merz now expects the economy to grow only 0.5% this year, down from a prior estimate of 1.0%. For 2027, it likewise lowered its forecast to 0.9% from 1.3%.

Earlier this month, a poll conducted by the Sunday daily Bild am Sonntag newspaper found that 70% of eligible voters are dissatisfied with Merz's performance, while only 21% are satisfied. Seventy-three percent of those surveyed are dissatisfied with the center-right coalition of Christian Democrats and Social Democrat, while only 20% are satisfied.