Never has any German Chancellor been so unpopular as Friedrich Merz. The “Germany Trend” poll by Infratest-Dimap, released on October 1, indicates an approval rating among citizens of only 10 percent. Disapproval to Merz is up to 88 percent. It is really past time that he resigns, or is replaced—but as of Friday afternoon, no candidate for replacement has stepped forward. The situation of the Merz government coalition is now so unstable, that Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is reported to have taken the very unusual step of urging cabinet ministers, and Merz himself, both yesterday and the day before, to overcome their internal coalition differences, and prevent its collapse.

As for the ratings of the political parties, the aforementioned Infratest-Dimap poll sees the biggest opposition party, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) at 27 percent of popularity, 7 points ahead of the governing Christian Democrats/Christian Social Union of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, with 20 percent. The Greens are placed third, with 16 percent, and the Social Democrats, the government coalition partner of Merz, received 13 percent. The Linke, which is also in the opposition, has 11 percent.