(MENAFN) A recent ARD-DeutschlandTrend poll has unveiled widespread discontent among Germans, with a staggering 82 percent expressing dissatisfaction with the performance of the current "traffic light" governing coalition. Chancellor Olaf Scholz, at the helm of the coalition, has received the lowest approval rating of any German leader since the inception of the survey in 1997, with a mere 20 percent of respondents deeming his work satisfactory and only 27 percent believing he is capable of effectively leading the country.
The poll, conducted ahead of the second anniversary of the coalition's formation, sheds light on a level of public discontent not witnessed in Germany for 13 years. The coalition, comprising the Social Democrats, Greens, and Free Democrats, faces a significant erosion of public trust, revealing a stark shift in sentiment.
Chancellor Scholz's ratings as a crisis manager and communicator further compound the challenges facing the government. Only 23 percent of respondents expressed confidence in Scholz as a crisis manager, while a meager 12 percent found him to be a convincing communicator. The survey reflects a notable decline in the public's perception of the government's efficacy and leadership.
The dissatisfaction is not limited to the chancellor, as other key members of the cabinet also received low approval ratings. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius garnered a slight majority of positive ratings at 52 percent, while Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Minister of Economy Robert Habeck received positive ratings from 38 percent and 30 percent of voters, respectively. The rest of Scholz's cabinet fared even worse in terms of public opinion.
The poll results coincide with a budget crisis triggered by a constitutional court ruling that declared the attempted repurposing of EUR60 billion (USD65 billion) in unused Covid-19 funding for the Climate and Transformation Fund unconstitutional. The unresolved budget crisis has further exacerbated the challenges facing the government, contributing to the overall dissatisfaction expressed by the German public.
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