Coalition loses majority support from public
Germany’s centre-right government coalition has lost the majority of public support less than six months after being elected, a poll published on Wednesday revealed.
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) remained at last week’s support rating of 35 percent, but their pro-business junior coalition partners the Free Democrats (FDP) lost two points to reach just 10 percent. With their combined sum of 45 percent, the CDU and FDP now lie two percentage points behind the three opposition parties in parliament, the poll published by Hamburg-based Stern magazine and broadcaster RTL revealed.
Last week the ruling coalition was still one point ahead.
“Before the election the FDP awoke high expectations among their supporters, medium sized businesses and the self-employed, but has not fulfilled them. Many turning away deeply disappointed.” said Manfred Güllner, head of pollster Forsa, who questioned 2,501 representative voters for the poll between January 4 and 8.
Meanwhile the centre-left Social Democrats remained stuck at 22 percent of voter support, while the environmentalist Greens gained one point to reach 14 percent – their highest poll rating since 1997. The socialist Left party stayed at 11 percent.
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Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) remained at last week’s support rating of 35 percent, but their pro-business junior coalition partners the Free Democrats (FDP) lost two points to reach just 10 percent. With their combined sum of 45 percent, the CDU and FDP now lie two percentage points behind the three opposition parties in parliament, the poll published by Hamburg-based Stern magazine and broadcaster RTL revealed.
Last week the ruling coalition was still one point ahead.
“Before the election the FDP awoke high expectations among their supporters, medium sized businesses and the self-employed, but has not fulfilled them. Many turning away deeply disappointed.” said Manfred Güllner, head of pollster Forsa, who questioned 2,501 representative voters for the poll between January 4 and 8.
Meanwhile the centre-left Social Democrats remained stuck at 22 percent of voter support, while the environmentalist Greens gained one point to reach 14 percent – their highest poll rating since 1997. The socialist Left party stayed at 11 percent.
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