BERLIN, August 23. /TASS/. More than 60% of Germans express dissatisfaction with the performance of the CDU/CSU-SPD coalition government, according to a recent poll conducted by the INSA sociological institute for Bild am Sonntag. The survey reveals that nearly 60% are unhappy with Chancellor Friedrich Merz's leadership, highlighting a significant decline in public confidence.

The poll results show that 62% of respondents are dissatisfied with the work of Germany’s ruling coalition, with only 26% rating the government's performance positively. Meanwhile, 57% of Germans disapprove of Merz’s leadership, compared to 28% who hold a favorable view. Notably, Merz’s support has decreased from 49% when he assumed office in early May.

In terms of political party support, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) now stands at 25%, matching the CDU/CSU bloc—marking the conservative parties’ worst showing in recent months. The last time the CDU/CSU held a similar level was on May 12 of this year. Six months ago, in the federal elections, the CDU/CSU secured 28.5%, indicating a loss of 3.5 percentage points over that period.

The survey also sheds light on the broader political landscape. The CDU/CSU and SPD coalition - collectively known as the conservative-red bloc - currently commands only 40% of voter support, insufficient for a parliamentary majority. The SPD itself has dwindled to just 15%, a slight decline from its 16.4% in the recent federal elections, which was its lowest-ever result. Other parties garner modest support: the Greens at 11%, the Left Party at 11%, the Free Democratic Party (FDP) at 3%, and the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance - Reason and Justice at 4%. With these figures, most of these parties would struggle to enter the Bundestag.

The survey was conducted from August 21 to 22, with a sample size of 1,001 respondents. The data on party preferences was gathered between August 18 and 22, involving 1,201 participants.

Since early May, when the Bundestag elected Merz as chancellor in a historic second-round vote - an unprecedented event in German history - public confidence has waned. The last elections on February 23 resulted in the fall of the ruling "traffic light coalition", which had collapsed last November over disagreements on budget and financial policies, including further aid to Kiev. In that vote, the CDU/CSU emerged victorious with 28.5%, while the AfD achieved a historic second-place finish with 20.8%. The SPD trailed with 16.4%, followed by the Greens at 11.6% and the Left Party at 8.8%.