BERLIN - Only 18 % Germans would support the nomination of Friedrich Merz (Christian Democratic Union, CDU) for a second term as Chancellor at the next elections in 2029, according to a Forsa poll commissioned by N-TV and RTL.
According to the survey, 18 % respondents said they would support Merz's nomination, while 16 % would recommend the conservative CDU/CSU bloc to re-nominate Merz. This means that 74 % respondents would like someone else to run for the CDU/CSU.
Interestingly, the CDU/CSU supporters themselves are almost evenly split on Merz's possible candidacy - 44 % would support the current Chancellor, while 43 % would prefer another candidate.
Friedrich Merz will celebrate his 70th birthday on 11 November, making him the second oldest Chancellor in German history after Konrad Adenauer, who stepped down in 1963 at the age of 87. When asked whether it is possible to serve as chancellor at such an age, 45 % respondents answered in the affirmative, while 52 % would prefer a younger head of government.
The Bundestag elected Merz as Chancellor on 6 May in a historic second round of voting - an unprecedented event in German history. The previous election on 23 February followed the collapse of the government's „Semaphore coalition“, which broke up last November over disagreements over budget and financial policy, including further aid to Kiev. In these elections, the CDU/CSU won with 28.5 %, while the Alternative for Germany (AfD) came a historic second with 20.8 %. The Social Democrats (SPD) won 16.4 %, the Greens 11.6 % and the Left Party 8.8 %.
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