Germany's Merz Hits a Record Low as the AfD Opens a 10-Point Lead

A new INSA poll for Bild finds 82% of Germans unhappy with Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his government, and six in 10 say their lives have gotten worse. Europe's biggest economy — and Ukraine's key backer — is wobbling at home.

By Clara Hughes

Washington is not the only capital where voters are angry about the cost of living. In Germany, 82% of people surveyed are dissatisfied with Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s performance, a record, according to an INSA poll for the Bild newspaper published Saturday. Just 13% are satisfied. In January, the numbers were 67% dissatisfied and 24% satisfied, news.de reported, citing the same poll series. Merz’s governing coalition of his center-right CDU/CSU and the center-left SPD fares no better: 82% dissatisfied, 13% satisfied. Keep reading with Altas Premium. Below: the pocketbook number driving the slide, the