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Merkel's grand coalition disappoints voters

The Local Germany
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Merkel's grand coalition disappoints voters
Karneval-goers in Düsseldorf this week dressed as "GroKo," the grand coalition. Photo: DPA

Voters are abandoning Germany's ruling grand coalition government for smaller parties, a poll released on Wednesday suggested, amid dissatisfaction with in-fighting and squabbles.

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Voter satisfaction with the German government has slumped just weeks before for the European elections in May, according to the Forsa poll.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's grand coalition between her CDU/CSU Union and the Social Democrats (SPD) slipped five percent in the poll, from 67.2 percent of the vote in September's election down to 62 percent in the poll conducted for Stern magazine and broadcaster RTL.

Many voters are disappointed with the coalition's track record in office so far, which has been marred by in-fighting and squabbling, head of Forsa Manfred Güllner told Stern.

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Forty percent of voters would vote for the CDU/CSU, down one percent since last week, whereas just 22 percent would give the SPD their vote, the party's lowest showing since the election.

Meanwhile, the smaller parties are benefiting from voter dissatisfaction with the government.

The Green Party is now polling at ten percent, up from their poor eight-percent showing in September. The far-left Die Linke party is up at 11 percent.

In the upcoming European elections all eyes will be on the eurosceptic Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), which failed to clear the five percent hurdle needed to enter parliament last year, but is now polling at six percent.  

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