German Far-Right AfD Surges in Polls as Chancellor Friedrich Merz Hits Record Low
Germany faces a major political crisis as the far-right AfD leads national polls with 27-28 percent, while Chancellor Friedrich Merz's approval rating plunges to a record-low 10 percent.
Germany's political landscape is undergoing a profound upheaval roughly a year and a half after the last federal elections. The far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) has surged to become the country's strongest political force in the polls, while the coalition parties led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz are steadily losing support. Merz's personal popularity has simultaneously plummeted to an unprecedented low.
Polls Show Dramatic Shifts
According to the ARD DeutschlandTrend poll released over the weekend, the AfD garnered 27 percent support, compared to only 20 percent for Merz’s conservative CDU/CSU alliance. The Social Democratic Party (SPD), a junior partner in the government, captured a mere 13 percent. Meanwhile, the Greens registered 16 percent and the Left party (Die Linke) reached 11 percent. For Merz's party, this represents one of the worst polling outcomes in its history.
The Politbarometer poll conducted by ZDF paints a nearly identical picture. Published in late September, it shows the AfD leading with 28 percent, followed by the CDU and CSU at 21 percent, the Greens at 14 percent, the SPD at 13 percent, and the Left at 12 percent. Under such a scenario, the current governing coalition falls far short of a parliamentary majority.
Chancellor Merz Faces Record Disapproval
The Chancellor's personal standing is even more precarious. The latest ARD survey indicates that only 10 percent of Germans are satisfied with Merz's performance, marking an all-time low for the network's polling. Satisfaction with the government as a whole sits at a matching 10 percent. Back in May, approval for the Chancellor stood at 16 percent, down sharply from 39 percent shortly after he took office in June 2025.
"Only 10 percent of Germans say they are satisfied with the Chancellor's performance, while 79 percent believe he is doing a poor job." — ARD and ZDF Polls
Internal Pressures Within the Conservative Camp
Merz's deepening weakness is already triggering ripples of anxiety within the conservative bloc itself. ARD recently reported that support within the Christian Union is eroding, with party members encountering profound grassroots disappointment. Furthermore, 65 percent of Germans surveyed do not believe Merz will remain in office until the scheduled federal elections in the spring of 2029, with only 31 percent expecting him to complete his full term.
