Political pressure on the government of Friedrich Merz is intensifying in Germany, as a new poll shows a strong wave of dissatisfaction with the governing coalition between the CDU/CSU bloc and the SPD.

According to the poll by YouGov for Welt am Sonntag, almost half of German citizens believe that the current government should not continue in office, just a few months after the new chancellor took office.

Strong wave of discontent against the Murch government

This poll shows that the 47% of respondents want to end the cooperation between the Christian Democrats and the Social Democrats, while only 30% are in favour of maintaining the coalition government.

At the same time, a 24% said they were undecided or said they did not know what would be the best outcome for the country.

Of those calling for a dissolution of the government, the largest share (about 38%) said the solution would be to resort to early elections.

Alongside, a further 9% prefer a minority government under the Christian Democrats of Friedrich Merz and the Christian Socialists of Bavaria under Marcus Zender, without the participation of the SPD.

Stronger reaction in eastern Germany

The poll also reflects the sharp differences between the east and west of the country.

In eastern Germany, 46% of citizens say they want to see the end of the governing coalition, while in the west the corresponding figure is limited to 35%.

Correspondingly, just 22% of residents in the eastern states support the continuation of the government, compared to 31% in western Germany.

Mertsch himself admits glitches

Friedrich Merz, who according to recent polls shows popularity ratings even below 20%, has publicly admitted that his government faces problems both in coordination and in the image it sends out to society.

“Maybe right now we’re arguing a little too much and not producing enough results. That may be the case,” he said during the 104th German Catholic Congress in the city of Wirtzburg.

Clashes over economy, energy and social policy

The major tensions within the governing coalition are over issues of social security, changes in the labour market and energy policy.

The management of the economic pressures caused by the war in Iran and the continuing rise in energy costs in Europe is also a new area of confrontation.

The Merts government is seeking measures to support households and businesses against fuel and energy hikes, but has so far failed to present a plan that meets with common approval at home.