41% of Germans demand early elections, dissatisfaction with Scholz-led coalition grows

Indications of dissatisfaction with the current coalition of SPD, Green Party, and FDP, led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, are evident in Germany for quite some time.

In the most recent Deutschlandtrend poll for public broadcaster ARD, only approximately a third of respondents (32 percent) support the continuation of the current coalition. Interestingly, a robust 41 percent of Germans prefer early elections. Meanwhile, 16 percent support a grand coalition, namely, a government formed by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU/CSU) and SPD, as during Angela Merkel's last two terms.

Early elections are primarily desired by supporters of the right-wing populist AFD party, with 86 percent of its followers backing this idea.

Meanwhile, support from Christian Democratic parties CDU and CSU is divided, with 39 percent in favor and 34 percent wanting a return to a grand coalition. Supporters of SPD (62 percent) and Greens (80 percent) overwhelmingly back the continuation of the current government's rule.

Opinions vary among voters of the liberal FDP: 47 percent support the continuation of government with the SPD and the Greens, but 39 percent oppose it.

The Deutschlandtrend poll also questioned Germans about measures taken to combat anti-Semitism. The number of anti-Semitic crimes has notably increased in Germany, particularly after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7th of this year. The poll suggests that most Germans, across political preferences, recognize the upsurge in anti-Semitism.

A majority (56 percent) would like more initiatives to combat anti-Semitism in Germany. Almost one in four people surveyed (23 percent) feels that the current efforts are sufficient, while 9 percent believe they are excessive.

Support levels for different political parties have seen little shift. The CDU/CSU camp remains the strongest - 30 percent of voters would elect CDU/CSU. The AfD, a populist party, takes second place with 21 percent backing.

Were the Bundestag elections to be held next Sunday, the social democratic SPD would only secure 15 percent, representing the weakest result since the parliamentary elections in 2021. Fifteen percent of voters would support the Green Party, while only 5 percent would choose the FDP, just enough to surpass the electoral threshold.

The Left Party (4 percent) would consequently be outside the Bundestag. Even less support (3 percent) is expressed for the Free Voters, who are not represented in the current Bundestag.

The Deutschlandtrend representative poll conducted on November 7th and 8th involved 1195 eligible German voters.