(Angus Reid Global Scan) – Adults in Germany are divided over the composition of their federal government following next month’s election, according to a poll by Emnid released by N24 television. 36 per cent of respondents support an administration encompassing the Christian-Democratic Union (CDU), the Bavarian Christian-Social Party (CSU) and the Free Democratic Party (FDP), while 35 per cent pre
(Angus Reid Global Scan) – Adults in Germany are divided over the composition of their federal government following next month’s election, according to a poll by Emnid released by N24 television. 36 per cent of respondents support an administration encompassing the Christian-Democratic Union (CDU), the Bavarian Christian-Social Party (CSU) and the Free Democratic Party (FDP), while 35 per cent prefer to pair the CDU-CSU with the Social Democratic Party (SPD).
On Jul. 1, current chancellor and SPD member Gerhard Schroeder deliberately lost a no-confidence motion in the Federal Diet after a 151-296 vote, with 148 abstentions. A federal election has been scheduled for Sept. 18. In May, the CDU selected leader Angela Merkel as its chancellor candidate.
The current governing alliance of the SPD and the Green Party (Grune) garners the backing of nine per cent of respondents, while eight per cent would like to see the recently created Left Party (Linke)—which merges the Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS) and the Electoral Alternative for Labour and Social Justice (WASG)—join the SPD and Grune.
Earlier this month, CSU leader Edmund Stoiber expressed preference for a government with the FDP, declaring, “I don’t think that’s good for a stable democracy and so I think a grand coalition would really only be an absolute last resort.”
In 1966, the CDU’s Kurt Georg Kiesinger governed with the support of the Social Democrats.
Polling Data
Which of these four possible coalitions would you prefer to be in charge of the federal government?
“Black-Yellow Coalition” | 36% |
“Grand Coalition” | 35% |
“Red-Green Coalition” | 9% |
“Red-Red-Green Coalition” | 8% |
Source: Emnid / N24 television
Methodology: Telephone interviews to 5,528 German voters, conducted from Aug. 2 to Aug. 8, 2005. No margin of error was provided.
