Overview

• An INSA survey published by Bild reports 62% rate Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s performance negatively and 26% positively, marking his worst numbers to date.
• Dissatisfaction with the CDU/CSU–SPD government reached 63%, while 23% expressed approval, the highest and lowest readings respectively since the cabinet took office.
• The negative assessment of Merz rose about three percentage points from the previous poll, extending a slide that followed a brief uptick in early June.
• The poll surveyed 1,001 people on September 18–19, and the cited reports did not include a margin of error.
• Russian senator Alexey Pushkov used the results to claim Merz prioritizes support for Ukraine, subordination to Brussels, sanctions and militarization over domestic worries, and he asserted AfD now leads the CDU/CSU.