AfD overtakes CDU/CSU in competence poll as Merz faces mounting criticism
A new survey shows the AfD leading the CDU/CSU on perceived competence, while Chancellor Friedrich Merz records a sharp rise in dissatisfaction among voters.
According to the latest survey, the AfD now ranks above the CDU/CSU on the competence question, while the Union’s share of respondents who trust it to solve national issues has dropped to nine percent. Over fifty percent of those surveyed claim no party is capable of addressing Germany’s problems. In the traditional “Sunday question,” the Union remains at 19 percent for a second week, with the AfD steady at 26 percent and the Greens closing in at 17 percent.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz faces a steep decline in personal approval, with a clear majority of the public expressing dissatisfaction. Among possible replacements, Hendrik Wüst is seen as suitable for the chancellorship by a sizable share of respondents, especially within the CDU/CSU base, while Markus Söder receives a largely negative assessment across party lines.
Why it matters
The poll highlights growing voter disillusionment with established parties and rising support for the AfD, signaling potential shifts in Germany’s political landscape.
How this story developed
- Sep 23 Heidenau city council will vote on a motion, supported by CDU and AfD members, to reject two proposed Stolpersteine for Fritz and Martha Goldstein and instead favor a collective memorial at the Nordfriedhof.
- Sep 24 Merz faces mounting pressure after the regional setbacks.
- Sep 24 The Israeli ambassador warned of an “immediate existential threat” to Berlin’s Jewish community over alleged antisemitism in the party.
- Sep 24 After the recent Berlin vote, Die Linke’s pledge to nationalise large landlords has deepened divisions, while its need for a coalition with the Greens and SPD faces scepticism.
- Sep 24 The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance pledged support for the AfD’s speaker nominee, creating a parliamentary majority for the AfD in Saxony‑Anhalt.
- Sep 27 The council has scheduled a vote on the proposed ban.
- Sep 27 SPD and Greens issued a joint warning demanding Die Linke reject antisemitism and clan crime before coalition talks proceed.
- Sep 29 AfD parliamentary group chair Ulrich Siegmund said he will stand for the Minister-President post in the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament in December.
- Oct 3 Tobias Rausch was elected speaker of the Landtag.
- Oct 3 AfD now ahead of the Union in the latest INSA Sunday poll, widening the gap.
- Oct 5 The council moved from debating the proposal to formally approving the resolution that declines new Stolpersteine applications.
- Oct 6 The party moved from campaign rhetoric to a detailed plan to expropriate apartments from eight major landlords.
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