(Angus Reid Global Scan) - The coalition of the Christian-Democratic Union (CSU) and the Bavarian Christian-Social Party (CSU) is still the dominant political group in Germany, according to a poll by FG Wahlen released by ZDF. 43 per cent of respondents would support the alliance in next month's election to the Federal Diet, up one point in a week.

The governing Social Democratic Party (SPD) of chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is second with 29 per cent, followed by the Green Party (Grune) with nine per cent, the Left Party (Linke)—which merges the Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS) and the Electoral Alternative for Labour and Social Justice (WASG)—with eight per cent, and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) also with eight per cent.

On Jul. 1, 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. The CDU has named Angela Merkel as its chancellor candidate. Germany has never had a female head of government.

The FDP is considered as the most likely coalition partner for the CDU-CSU alliance. Support for the combined political organizations is at 51 per cent, while the prospective total for the SPD, Grune and Linke is 46 per cent.

On Aug. 20, Schroeder and Merkel—both Protestants—met Pope Benedict XVI in Cologne. Merkel declared, "It was a great joy to see the Holy Father. It was great to meet a German pope on German soil." Schroeder issued no immediate public comments.

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