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Social Democrats reach all-time low

A poll released on Tuesday by German weekly Stern reveals that the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) continue to lose popularity, reaching an all-time low for the second time in two weeks at 22 percent.

Published: 18 March 2008 08:15 CET

Public support has been diminishing for the Social Democrats as it becomes more entrenched in controversy centred on a possible SPD partnership with the hard-line socialist Left Party. The poll, conducted by German association for social research Forsa, showed that SPD popularity sank one percentage point from last week, resulting in the lowest party approval rating Forsa has ever measured for the party.

Angela Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) suffered a loss of one point, though the party still remains 15 percentage points ahead of the SPD with support of 37 percent.

The pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) improved by one percent to reach a total of 11 percent. Meanwhile the Left Party rose to 14 percent, and the Greens stayed at 11 percent.

SPD party leader Kurt Beck was unable to stop further loss of his popularity, despite his reappearance after two weeks out sick. Only 12 percent of those polled said they would directly elect him as chancellor – one percentage point lower than last week, the poll reported. Only 35 percent of the SPD supporters polled said they would vote for him.

Some 58 percent of poll participants said they would reelect current Chancellor Merkel, including 22 percent of those who support the SPD.

Aide to German far-right MEP arrested on suspicion of spying for China

The man, named only as Jian G., stands accused of sharing information about negotiations at European Parliament with a Chinese intelligence service and of spying on Chinese opposition figures in Germany, federal prosecutors said in a statement.

On the website of the European Parliament, Jian Guo is listed as an accredited assistant to MEP Maximilian Krah, the far-right AfD party’s lead candidate in the forthcoming EU-wide elections.

He is a German national who has reportedly worked as an aide to Krah in Brussels since 2019.

The suspect “is an employee of a Chinese secret service”, prosecutors said.

“In January 2024, the accused repeatedly passed on information about negotiations and decisions in the European Parliament to his intelligence service client.

“He also spied on Chinese opposition members in Germany for the intelligence service.”

The suspect was arrested in the eastern German city of Dresden on Monday and his homes were searched, they added.

The accused lives in both Dresden and Brussels, according to broadcasters ARD, RBB and SWR, who broke the news about the arrest.

The AfD said the allegations were “very disturbing”.

“As we have no further information on the case, we must wait for further investigations by federal prosecutors,” party spokesman Michael Pfalzgraf said in a statement.

The case is likely to fuel concern in the West about aggressive Chinese espionage.

It comes after Germany on Monday arrested three German nationals suspected of spying for China by providing access to secret maritime technology.

READ ALSO: Germany arrests three suspected of spying for China

China’s embassy in Berlin “firmly” rejected the allegations, according to Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua.

According to German media, the two cases are not connected.

In Britain on Monday, two men were charged with handing over “articles, notes, documents or information” to China between 2021 and last year.

Police named the men as Christopher Berry, 32, and Christoper Cash, 29, who previously worked at the UK parliament as a researcher.

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