Only 10% of voters in the Deutschlandtrend poll approved of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, dropping three points from 13% at the start of September.
The Alternative for Germany leads Sunday voting intentions with 27%, followed by CDU/CSU at 20%, Greens at 16%, and SPD at 13%.
Defence Minister Boris Pistorius scored a 50% approval rating, well ahead of Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul at 34% and Chancellor Merz at 10%.
The poll follows September state elections where the CDU dropped to 17.2% in Saxony-Anhalt on 6 September and 4.9% in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on 20 September.
Infratest dimap conducted the Deutschlandtrend survey between 28 and 30 September 2026 across 1,303 eligible voters for broadcaster ARD. Only 10% of respondents expressed satisfaction with the work of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, dropping three points from 13% at the beginning of September. That result is the lowest recorded for a federal chancellor since Deutschlandtrend began in 1997. Approximately 88% of surveyed citizens declared themselves dissatisfied with the CDU leader. Support deteriorated within his own base as well, with only 40% of CDU voters expressing satisfaction with his performance.
Satisfaction with the federal government stood at 10%, matching the chancellor and holding unchanged from a 7 September flash poll. A majority of 52% of respondents described themselves as completely dissatisfied with federal governance, up four points in a month, while 37% were rather dissatisfied. Discontent reached 67% among CDU/CSU supporters and 82% among SPD voters. Disapproval climbed to 98% among Alternative for Germany (AfD) voters and 99% among Left Party supporters.
Several cabinet ministers polled higher than Merz. SPD Defence Minister Boris Pistorius recorded 50% approval. CDU Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul received 34% approval, followed by CSU Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt at 27%. SPD Vice-Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil recorded 20% approval, while SPD Labour Minister Bärbel Bas reached approximately 17%.
Data from the article text
If a federal election were held next Sunday, the AfD would lead with 27% of the vote. The CDU/CSU alliance slipped one point to 20%, remaining near its lowest level since 1990. The Greens rose one point to 16%, while the SPD held at 13%. Together, the CDU/CSU and SPD coalition would capture only 33% of the vote, losing their majority. The Left Party polled at 11%, while the FDP remained at 4%, below the 5% Bundestag entry threshold.
Data from the article text
The national numbers follow three September state elections. On 6 September, the AfD won Saxony-Anhalt with 43.8% of the vote against 17.2% for the CDU, which dropped 10 points and lost power. On 20 September, the AfD won Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania with 38.2%, while the CDU fell to 4.9% and missed the state parliament threshold for the first time in post-war history. In Berlin, the CDU also dropped 10 points and lost power to the Left Party.
The survey recorded widespread public concern, with only one in eight respondents (12.5%) optimistic about Germany's situation and nearly nine in ten reporting anxiety. Two-thirds of participants feared losing control of artificial intelligence, alongside worries over Russia and United States policy under Donald Trump. On welfare policy, only 17% trusted the government to secure social security systems, while 79% doubted it. Half of respondents were open to spending cuts if clearly explained, with 61% favoring tiering by income. When choosing between policy options, 41% accepted higher contributions while 37% favored benefit cuts.
Ahead of the 36th anniversary of German reunification on 3 October, 44% of East Germans reported personal advantages from reunification, 20% saw disadvantages, and 25% reported no personal effect. In western Germany, over half saw no significant personal effect, while 19% reported positive outcomes and 18% negative ones.
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A survey conducted by Infratest dimap for broadcaster ARD shows only 10% of German voters approve of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the lowest rating for any chancellor since polling began in 1997, as the AfD leads federal voting intentions at 27%.
AI text based on reports by Deutsche Welle, forsal.pl, Der Tagesspiegel and other publishers. Changed . How it is made