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POLITICS

Germany’s SPD extends lead over CDU/CSU as Greens lose ground: poll

With just three weeks to go until the federal election, Germany's Social Democrats are extending their lead against the conservative CDU/CSU party union whose support has hit a fresh historic low.

Published: 5 September 2021 09:45 CEST
Germany's SPD extends lead over CDU/CSU as Greens lose ground: poll
(L-R) The candidate for Chancellor of Germany's social democratic SPD party Olaf Scholz; the candidate for Chancellor of Germany's Greens Annalena Baerbock and the candidate for Chancellor of Germany's conservative CDU/CSU party union Armin Laschet Germany's 'eternal chancellor' Angela Merkel will leave office after general elections scheduled for September 26th, 2021. John MACDOUGALL, Ina FASSBENDER, Daniel ROLAND / AFP

Support for the SPD has gained a percentage point in the last week and now stands at 25 percent, according to the latest INSA poll published by Bild am Sonntag newspaper on Sunday.

The CDU and CSU with Armin Laschet as their candidate for chancellor achieved 20 percent in total, down one percentage point on last week and another historic low, according to Bild.

The Greens – with chancellor candidate Annalena Baerbock – lost one percentage point to 16 percent, followed by the FDP in fourth place, unchanged at 13 percent.

Several other polls also showed the SPD above the CDU/CSU, significantly so in some cases.

According to television station ZDF’s political barometer – published Friday – the Social Democrats stood at 25 percent and the Union at 22 percent, German paper Die Welt reported.

And the below chart from Wahlrecht.de shows what the outcome would have been had the election been this Sunday, according to various recent polls, including the INSA one published by Bild.

The SPD is ahead of the CDU-CSU in all of the five most recent polls (highlighted in pink).

Laschet, the 60-year-old leader of Merkel’s CDU-CSU alliance had gone into the election race with a comfortable lead over his rivals from the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the Greens.

But several missteps in the last weeks have left his popularity in the doldrums and support for his party slipping just as Merkel is due to bow out of politics after 16 years as German leader. 

Currently state premier of North Rhine-Westphalia, Laschet saw the tide turn against him during the deadly floods that struck western Germany in mid-July.

Caught on camera chuckling behind in the background with local officials while Germany’s president gave a speech mourning victims of deadly floods, Laschet has since been unable to halt a falling trend in popularity.

READ ALSO: German chancellor candidate Laschet sparks anger with flood zone laughter

READ ALSO: Gaffe-prone Merkel heir with big shoes to fill

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POLITICS

German president decries ‘violence’ in politics after attacks

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Thursday he was worried by the growing trend of violence towards politicians after a series of attacks on lawmakers at work or on the campaign trail.

Published: 23 May 2024 14:29 CEST
German president decries 'violence' in politics after attacks

“We must never get used to violence in the battle of political opinions,” Steinmeier said at an event to mark the 75th anniversary of the German constitution.

The basic law, promulgated in 1949, was a response to Germany’s experience with political violence during World War II, Steinmeier said.

“No one knew better than the mothers and fathers of the constitution how violence undermines a democracy and tears down its foundations,” Steinmeier said.

READ ALSO: ‘Grundgesetz’ – what does Germany’s Basic Law really mean?

The threat of political violence had again reared its head in Germany, the president said.

“We have received news of physical attacks on elected officials and politically active people almost every day,” he said.

“I am deeply concerned about the coarsening of political life in our country.”

READ ALSO: How politically motivated crimes are rising in Germany 

Earlier this month, police arrested a man on suspicion of hitting a former mayor of Berlin in the head during a visit to a public library.

Franziska Giffey, who is now the Berlin state economy minister and a member of Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD), was treated in hospital for light injuries.

Giffey’s assault came just days after a European member of parliament, also from the SPD, had to be hospitalised after four people attacked him while he was out canvassing.

READ ALSO: Why are German politicians facing increasing attacks?

Senior members of the government have also been confronted by angry mobs in recent months, with Economy Minister Robert Habeck blocked from leaving a ferry by a group of protesters.

In his speech, Steinmeier also recalled the politically motivated murder of the conservative politician Walter Luebcke by neo-Nazis in 2019.

“His death is a reminder of how hate can turn into violence,” Steinmeier said.

This week also saw proceedings open against the alleged ringleaders of a group who are said to have planned to storm the German parliament and overthrow the government.

The group of so-called Reichsbuerger, who deny the legitimacy of the modern German republic, allegedly planned to take MPs hostage and had compiled “lists of enemies” to be eliminated, according to prosecutors.

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