28% of German voters remain undecided ahead of Feb. 23 elections: Poll

More than a quarter of German voters are undecided with only eight days until the parliamentary elections, according to a new poll released Saturday.

In a representative poll conducted for public television ZDF, 28% of respondents said they are not yet sure whether they will vote or which party they will support.

The survey showed that opposition leader Friedrich Merz's conservative alliance CDU/CSU maintained its lead with 30% support. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is holding steady at 20%.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) increased its vote share by one percentage point to 16%, followed by his current coalition partner, the Greens, at 14%.

The socialist Die Linke was polling at 7%, while both the liberal FDP and left-populist BSW (Bundnis Sahra Wagenknecht) hovered at 4%, just below the 5% threshold needed to enter parliament.

According to the latest poll, the Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) lack the votes for a parliamentary majority, making a coalition government necessary. CDU leader Friedrich Merz has not yet indicated his preferred coalition partner between the SPD and the Greens. While analysts largely expect the Christian Democrats to pursue a coalition with the SPD for stable governance, polling data suggested they could also form a narrow majority with the Greens—though this option appeared less favorable.