Economy rather than migration top priority for German voters as ruling party loses support: poll
A new poll shows support for Chancellor Merz’s Christian Democrats falling to 24 percent amid rising economic concerns, while the far-right AfD maintains its lead.
German voters are increasingly focused on the country’s economy rather than migration, according to a new Forsa survey.
The poll, published on Wednesday, found that 60 percent of respondents view the economy as Germany’s most urgent problem — up six points from early October and more than double the share of those who cite migration as the most pressing concern.
It also showed support for Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) dropping to 24 percent.
The results mark a continuing erosion of support for the ruling coalition as economic pressures deepen.
Trust in Merz’s alliance low
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) remains the strongest party at 26 percent, while the co-ruling Social Democratic Party (SPD) gained one point to 14 percent.
The figures suggest that neither Merz’s bloc nor the SPD would be able to form a viable government if elections were held now.
Public confidence in political leadership remains low: 68 percent of Germans said they do not believe the government can improve business conditions or strengthen the economy.
Only 17 percent expressed faith in Merz’s CDU/CSU alliance to tackle national challenges, and just 6 percent said the same of the SPD.