Nearly half of German voters would prefer an early national election if Chancellor Friedrich Merz were to resign, according to an INSA poll published on Tuesday.
The survey found that 45% of respondents would favour a new national vote in the event of Merz leaving office. Another 31% said the governing conservative CDU/CSU alliance and centre-left SPD should instead use their parliamentary majority to choose a successor.
The poll comes amid increased political pressure on Merz following substantial CDU losses in three state elections this month. Merz has said he has no intention of resigning and plans to continue pursuing his government’s reform programme, despite continuing speculation over his political future.
Asked about potential successors, 20% of respondents named CSU leader and Bavarian Premier Markus Soeder. North Rhine-Westphalia Premier Hendrik Wuest received 14%, while Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt was backed by 6%.
The same INSA survey put the AfD at 29.5%, its highest national figure recorded by the polling institute. The CDU/CSU stood at 19.5%, leaving a record 10-point gap between the two in an INSA poll.
The SPD and Greens each registered 13.5%, while the Left Party stood at 10.5%. The FDP polled at 4.5% and the BSW at 3.5%, placing both below the 5% threshold generally required to enter the Bundestag.
The figures follow a series of state-election setbacks this month. The AfD finished first in two eastern states, while the CDU failed to enter a state parliament for the first time and the Left Party emerged as the leading party in Berlin.
Following the result in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Merz described the outcome as “a deep turning point” and “a severe blow”.
Despite the setbacks, he said he would remain both CDU leader and chancellor and that the governing coalition with the SPD would continue.