Majority of Germans doubt Chancellor Merz can revive economy: poll
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As the AFD edges ahead in party popularity, continued recession and energy-related pressures cloud the country’s economic outlook.
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German Chancellor Friedrich Merz attends a joint press statement with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following talks with European and U.S. leaders in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025 (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
More than 60% of Germans do not believe that Chancellor Friedrich Merz can lead the German economy out of its ongoing crisis, according to a new survey conducted by the Forsa Institute for n-tv and RTL.
Only 36% of respondents expressed confidence that the Merz-led federal government could restore economic growth, while 61% disagreed.
Skepticism was most pronounced in eastern Germany, where 72% of respondents said they see no improvement ahead, compared to 59% in western regions.
The poll was conducted between August 22 and 25 among roughly 1,000 people, with a margin of error of about three percentage points.
Read more: Nearly 70% of Germans dissatisfied with Chancellor Merz
AFD leads in party popularity as CDU/CSU trails
The Forsa Institute also updated its political party popularity ratings. The right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) is currently leading with 26% support. The Christian Democratic and Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) bloc, led by Merz, follows closely at 25%.
The Social Democrats (SPD) hold 13%, narrowly ahead of the Greens at 12%, while The Left party stands at 11%, all of which are above the 5% threshold required to enter parliament.
This broader voter survey was conducted from August 19 to 25 among approximately 2,500 people and carries a margin of error of about 2.5 percentage points.
Read more: Chancellor Merz under pressure over German military conscription
Economic outlook remains gloomy amid recession
The German economy remains in recession, weighed down in part by persistently high energy costs following the halt of Russian gas supplies. According to the federal statistical office Destatis, Germany’s GDP contracted by 0.2% in 2024, marking the second consecutive year of economic decline. The last time Germany experienced two straight years of contraction was in 2002–2003.
