(07/04/10) -

German Junior Coalition Partner FDP Hits New low

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – The junior partner in Germany’s ruling coalition, has continued to lose public support, according to a poll by Forsa released by Stern and RTL. Only four per cent of respondents would vote for the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP) in the next election to the Federal Diet, down three points since late May.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – The junior partner in Germany’s ruling coalition, has continued to lose public support, according to a poll by Forsa released by Stern and RTL. Only four per cent of respondents would vote for the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP) in the next election to the Federal Diet, down three points since late May.

The ruling Christian-Democratic Union (CDU) and its sister Bavarian Christian-Social Party (CSU) remain in first place with 32 per cent, followed by the Social Democratic Party (SPD) with 27 per cent, the Green Party (Grune) with 18 per cent, and the Left Party (Linke) with 11 per cent.

In November 2005, CDU leader Angela Merkel was sworn in as Germany’s first female head of government following a federal election. Her "Grand Coalition" administration featured members of the CDU, CSU and SPD.

In September 2009, German voters participated in a new federal election. Final results gave the CDU-CSU 33.8 per cent of the vote and 239 seats, followed by the SPD with 23 per cent and 146 mandates. This time, Merkel invited the FDP to form a government. FDP leader Guido Westerwelle serves as foreign minister.

On Jun. 30, the Federal Convention—a body that encompasses the Federal Diet as well as delegates from the country’s 16 states—elected a new president to replace Horst Koehler, who tendered his resignation after his controversial remarks about the country’s military mission in Afghanistan.

The presidential election required three rounds of voting. In the end, CDU nominee Christian Wulff defeated SDP candidate Joachim Gauck by 625 votes to 494.

Wolfgang Bosbach—the CDU’s deputy leader in the Federal Diet—expressed his frustration with rebel lawmakers who did not endorse Wulff, saying, "Anyone who thinks that this was a good day for the government is wrong. When it comes down to it, you have to stand together. Politics is a team sport."

Polling Data

What party would you support in Germany’s next federal election?

Source: Forsa / Stern / RTL
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 2,500 German adults, conducted from Jun. 21 to Jun. 25, 2010. Margin of error is 2.5 per cent.