Merkel's successor Friedrich Merz hits record low approval as sugar tax proposal is paused

The latest ARD "Deutschlandtrend" survey reveals that Chancellor Friedrich Merz enjoys a historic low in public satisfaction, with merely a tenth of respondents expressing approval - the lowest figure recorded since the poll’s inception in 1997. The same poll suggests that the CDU/CSU would secure only a marginal share of the vote in a hypothetical election, while the AfD would retain its current level of support. In parallel, the Chancellor’s Office has suspended Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil’s proposal for a sugar tax on beverages containing more than five grams of sugar per 100 ml, arguing that the draft diverges from the health-finance commission’s advice and lacks a majority within the coalition.

Klingbeil maintains that the tax aims to raise revenue and encourage manufacturers to reduce sugar content, targeting implementation from July 2027. Critics from the health sector and consumer groups have condemned the pause, calling the measure essential for public-health protection.