Issue Watch
Track global public opinion on current issues.
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Angus Reid Global Monitor : Polls & Research
Conservative Parties Reach 40% in Germany
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The Christian-Democratic Union (CDU) and the Bavarian Christian-Social Party (CSU) hold a wider lead in Germany, according to a poll by FG Wahlen released by ZDF. 40 per cent of respondents would vote for either party in the next federal election.
The Social Democratic Party (SPD) is second with 27 per cent, followed by the Left Party (Linke) with 11 per cent, the Green Party (Grune) with nine per cent, and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) with eight per cent.
Official results from the September 2005 election to the Federal Diet gave the CDU and the CSU 226 seats, with the SPD a close second with 222 legislators. Neither of the two main parties was able to assemble a coalition government with their preferred partners. In November 2005, CDU leader Angela Merkel was sworn in as Germany’s first female head of government. The current administration includes members of the CDU, CSU and SPD.
Earlier this month, SDP leader Kurt Beck discussed his chances in the next federal ballot—tentatively scheduled for September 2009—saying, "I see a realistic chance that there will be a head-to-head race in 2009. I expect that it will not be possible to form a government against the SPD. (...) We have in the CDU an opponent that is coldly seeking prospects of power—with no regard for substance."
Polling Data
What party would you vote for in the next federal election?
|
Apr. 17 |
Apr. 3 |
Mar. 2008 |
|
|
Christian-Democratic Union (CDU) / |
40% |
39% |
40% |
|
Social Democratic Party (SPD) |
27% |
28% |
29% |
|
Left Party (Linke) |
11% |
11% |
10% |
|
Green Party (Grune) |
9% |
9% |
9% |
|
Free Democratic Party (FDP) |
8% |
9% |
8% |
Source: FG Wahlen / ZDF
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,210 German adults, conducted from Apr. 15 to Apr. 17, 2008. Margin of error is 2.7 per cent.