According to an INSA poll published by Bild on Saturday, 70% of the 1,005 respondents said they disapproved of the work of the ruling coalition, while only 21% said the opposite. Merz’s personal approval rating has declined to just 23%, the poll suggests, RT reported.
“These are the worst ratings ever recorded for the chancellor and his government,” INSA head Hermann Binkert told Bild.
The poll was released shortly after the Bundestag narrowly approved a controversial pension reform which had prompted criticism from the youth wing of Merz’s Christian Democratic Union.
The chancellor’s popularity has plummeted as critics accuse him of betraying his campaign promises in order to revive the economy. The coalition has also seen bitter infighting over immigration and aid to Ukraine.
Merz has pushed for further militarization and pledged to build “the strongest conventional army in Europe,” citing what he describes as a growing Russian threat.
On Friday, the Bundestag passed a much-debated military service law aimed at recruiting more young soldiers. The law prompted a protest in Berlin, where organizer Ronja Ruh argued that an “unbelievable amount of money is being spent on the military and armament,” while basic public services lack funding.
Russia has dismissed the calls for militarization among NATO countries as baseless warmongering and denied that it is planning to attack the alliance unless it is attacked first.