LUDOVIC MARIN ; POOL/EPA
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz
The CDU/CSU and the SPD made many promises to voters. But according to polls, Germans are deeply disappointed with the coalition government and have little hope that things will improve.
The first two state elections of the year have already taken place in Germany, and things are starting to recover in the federal government.
For weeks, the coalition formed by the center-left Christian Democratic Union (CDU)/Christian Social Union (CSU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) left governance to the background — for fear causing discontent among voters in the states of Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate.
Meanwhile, long-needed reforms are essential to get Germany back on track — reforms that will require citizens to accept cuts in social benefits.
After taking office in May 2025, Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced what he called “autumn of reforms“. But this never materialized. Long periods of inaction and political impasse are now taking their toll.
The most recent Deutschlandtrend survey showed that 84% of respondents — a record since Merz’s government took power in May last year — are unhappy with its performance.
Even supporters of Merz’s own party are losing faith in the governmentreveals the Deutschlandtrend survey, published by public broadcaster ARD. The survey, conducted by the polling company Infratest Dimap, asked a representative sample of 1,316 voters eligible to vote in the last two days of March.
Merz and Klingbeil suffer sharp declines
The drop in the coalition’s popularity is also reflected in the popularity of its leaders. Chancellor Friedrich Merz (21% approval; -8 percentage points) and Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil of the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) (18% approval; -15 percentage points) saw their public trust drops significantly. Both reached their lowest approval ratings since taking office.
This dissatisfaction is reflected in the parties’ approval ratings. If a federal election were held now, the CDU/CSU and the SPD would be far from guaranteeing the majority.
Compared to last March, both the CDU/CSU and the SPD lost two percentage points. The CDU/CSU is currently at 26%, while the SPD is down to just 12%, thus returning to its historic low of 2019.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party gained two percentage points, rising to 25%. Meanwhile, the environmentalist Green Party and the socialist Left Party gained one percentage point each, rising to 14% and 10%, respectively.
Other parties remain below the national threshold necessary for parliamentary representation, such as the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), left-wing in economics and conservative in politics, and the neoliberal Liberal Democratic Party (FDP), both with 3%.
The war in Iran is dashing hopes for an economic recovery
For the government, this means that it is now necessary to present results. There is great concern about the economy. Three years of recession and one year of stagnation left deep marks. Industry is shrinking and production and jobs are being moved abroad.
Slight signs of recent improvement were nullified by the war in Iran. If energy prices remain high or continue to rise, there is a risk of a new wave of inflation.
A total of 70% of citizens do not trust that the government takes the necessary measures to improve the economic situation.
The coalition government plans a combination of tax cuts, lower energy prices, incentives for investment and reduction of bureaucracy to stabilize the German economy in the short term and make it more competitive in the long term. In addition, new consumer support measures were announced for after Easter 2026.
Faster recognition of foreign professional qualifications
Another idea the coalition is considering is allowing companies hire fixed-term employees for longer periods than before. Voters surveyed in the ARD Deutschlandtrend poll are divided on this issue: 48% think it is a good idea, while 44% disagree.
On the other hand, there is strong support (74%) for accelerating the recognition of foreign professional qualifications so that immigrants can enter the job market more quickly.
Among voters for the far-right AfD party, just 48% agree. But among voters from other parties, the approval rate varies between 83% and 95%.
The rich must pay more taxes
To cover budget deficits and, above all, to encourage women to work more, there are plans to abolish existing tax benefits for couples, known as “division of assets by spouse“. Around 54% of citizens oppose the idea, while only 32% think it is the right measure. And 91% reject a general increase in value-added tax (VAT). The tax burden on personal income and social security is already considered excessive.
Overall, 66% of respondents consider their tax burden to be too high, while 28% consider it adequate. As for tax incentives for low and medium income classes, together with a increase in income tax for the highest classesaround 76% of respondents would support this measure.
Pensions, healthcare, long-term care — no shortage of obstacles
Changes are on the horizon not only in the tax system, but also in the social security system. Demographic change is putting pressure on the social security system. THE Germany is aging rapidlywith a decreasing number of people of working age bearing the costs of an increasing number of retirees.
In the long term, this is not sustainable. The aging of the population also puts pressure on the healthcare system. It is very expensive and inefficient. In the coming years, the number of elderly people requiring care will increase rapidly.
Of the respondents to the Deutschlandtrend survey, 74% do not trust the government to take the necessary measures to make the social security system sustainable in the future. Three commissions of experts were created to develop reform proposals. Although they are still analyzing pensions and long-term care, the health commission released its findings in late March.
Among the proposals to alleviate the burden on the public health system, the majority of citizens support the increase in taxes on alcoholtobacco and soft drinks.
However, there are a similar number of people opposed to increasing reimbursement for medicines and treatments, as well as opposing the end of free coverage for spouses or the cap on reimbursements for private doctors and hospitals.
