Overview
- At the one-year mark, new polls show only about 15% of Germans are satisfied with Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s performance, and YouGov puts his net approval at -52, among the lowest for major European leaders.
- After Merz criticized U.S. strategy on the Iran war, President Donald Trump rebuked him and announced a 5,000-troop drawdown from Germany plus higher tariffs on European car imports, a direct hit to Germany’s auto sector.
- Party leaders from the CDU/CSU–SPD coalition said they will try to bridge rifts over tax, welfare and health policy, yet weeks of public disputes have stalled promised reforms and drained trust, according to SPD leader Lars Klingbeil.
- German industry is losing patience, with BDI chief Peter Leibinger warning business is deeply unsettled and saying the government lacks a clear plan to lift growth and competitiveness, which could threaten Germany’s role as an industrial hub.
- Public frustration is feeding gains for the far-right AfD, which has led some national polls, and tabloid Bild reports talk of government cracks and possible early elections as mainstream parties refuse cooperation with the AfD.