In the midst of coalition negotiations, the CDU/CSU has experienced a significant decline in support, losing six percentage points according to a recent Sunday poll conducted by the Insa opinion research institute. The head of the Institute for New Social Answers (INSA), Hermann Binkert, has described this drop in support as unprecedented during the period between Bundestag elections and the formation of a government. The CDU/CSU, led by likely next Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz, has lost two percentage points in the poll, while the AfD has gained one percentage point, marking its best result to date. The CDU/CSU had previously secured victory in the Bundestag election with 28.5 per cent of the second votes, while the AfD came in second with 20.8 per cent. However, the CDU/CSU has now lost a total of 4.5 points compared to the election results.
The SPD, a potential coalition partner, remains unchanged at 16 per cent in the current poll, indicating that they would not have a majority in parliament on their own. The Greens have seen a slight decrease, standing at 11 per cent, while the Left Party has seen a slight increase to 11 per cent as well. All other parties continue to fall short of the five per cent threshold needed for representation in parliament. The survey conducted by Insa included 1,206 participants between 31 March and 4 April, with a maximum statistical error margin of 2.9 percentage points. The cancellation of the Bundestag session scheduled for the following week at the request of the CDU/CSU and SPD has sparked criticism from opposition parties, including the AfD, who see it as an expression of fear that the right-wing party might overshadow the Union.
The AfD plans to present all the demands that the CDU/CSU promised during the election campaign immediately in the Bundestag as a response to the cancellation. The Greens have criticized the decision as a delay during crucial times, while the Left Party views it as an affront. They argue that important topics, such as Trump’s customs policy, require dialogue and that there should not be a political silence during coalition negotiations. The new Bundestag, which convened for its first session on 25 March, had previously approved extensive debt for infrastructure and defence with support from the CDU/CSU, SPD, and Greens. However, these parties would not have had the necessary majority to pass such a resolution in the new Bundestag, highlighting the potential challenges ahead in the political landscape.
