Merz ends first year as most unpopular German chancellor in post-war history

When German Chancellor Friedrich Merz was elected in February of last year, he warned the political mainstream that it was “five minutes to midnight” before outside parties consumed the nation’s center.

Exactly a year since taking office, it seems those five minutes have passed — centrist Merz is suffering the lowest approval rating of any chancellor in the nation’s post-war history, and his most feared opponents are eating up the electorate.

A recent survey from the polling firm Forsa Institute found that a mere 11% of German voters are satisfied with the chancellor’s coalition, compared with a whopping 87% who said otherwise.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrives for a Cabinet meeting in Berlin on Wednesday, May 6, 2026. (Michael Kappeler/dpa via AP)

Another survey from the INSA Institute this week found that 58% of German voters don’t believe Merz’s coalition will last until the 2029 elections, compared with just 24% who think