Germany's CDU/CSU drops to lowest support in five years, trailing AfD by eight points

Germany’s governing CDU/CSU bloc has fallen to its lowest level of support in almost five years, trailing the opposition AfD by eight points, according to an INSA poll published by Bild.

Approval ratings for Merz’s coalition, comprising the Christian Democratic CDU/CSU bloc and the Social Democratic Party, have declined steadily since it took office in May 2025. The government has faced criticism over continued economic stagnation and its failure to deliver on pre-election promises.

The survey, conducted by INSA for Bild am Sonntag and published online by Bild on Saturday, surveyed 1,203 people across Germany between August 10 and 14, with a reported margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.

Support for the CDU/CSU dropped one point from the previous week to 20%, its weakest INSA result since October 2021. The AfD remained unchanged at 28%, making it the most popular party in the poll.

The Greens received 13%, while the SPD stood level with the Left at 12%. The FDP recorded 5% and the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance 3%.

Together, the two governing parties received 32%, only four points more than the AfD alone. Several major reforms remain unresolved following coalition disputes over taxes, welfare, and spending priorities.

The findings also showed that 16% of respondents were satisfied with Merz’s performance, while 78% expressed dissatisfaction. Four in five disapproved of the federal government’s work.

“Support has never been so low and rejection so high,” INSA director Hermann Binkert told Bild. He argued that the trend may no longer be reversible because most remaining supporters of the governing parties no longer backed the cabinet.

Around 10,000 people demonstrated against the government in Plauen last week, according to Saxony police, demanding snap elections, lower energy costs, and changes to healthcare, migration, and military policy.

While unchanged from the previous week, the AfD’s 28% rating represents a substantial increase from the 20.8% it secured in the February 2025 federal election. The party has continued to rise in national surveys despite efforts by Germany’s mainstream parties to exclude it from governing coalitions.

Its growing support comes ahead of regional elections in eastern Germany, where it is polling at around 41% in Saxony-Anhalt and 36% in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Researchers cited by Reuters have linked the party’s strength there to lower incomes, population decline, labor shortages, and perceptions of political neglect.