Angus Reid Global Monitor : Polls & Research

Conservatives Lead by 10 Points in Germany

December 22, 2007
Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Germany’s two top right-leaning parties remain highly popular, according to a poll by FG Wahlen released by ZDF. 41 per cent of respondents would vote for the Christian-Democratic Union (CDU) or the Bavarian Christian-Social Party (CSU) in the next election to the Federal Diet, up one point since November.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Germany’s two top right-leaning parties remain highly popular, according to a poll by FG Wahlen released by ZDF. 41 per cent of respondents would vote for the Christian-Democratic Union (CDU) or the Bavarian Christian-Social Party (CSU) in the next election to the Federal Diet, up one point since November.

The Social Democratic Party (SPD) is second with 31 per cent, followed by the Left Party (Linke) with nine per cent, the Green Party (Grune) with eight per cent, and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) with seven 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.

On Dec. 18, Ulrich Kelber, the SDP’s parliamentary leader and an environmental expert, tabled a proposal backed by other parties—including the Greens—to impose sanctions on the United States if its government continues to hamper international initiatives to curb climate change. Kelber declared: "Merkel has made climate change a big issue and has tried to bring the Bush administration on board, so far without success. (...) We cannot let the U.S. continue to block multilateral agreements, as it tried with Kyoto."

Polling Data

What party would you vote for in the next federal election?

 

Dec. 2007

Nov. 2007

Christian-Democratic Union (CDU) /
Bavarian Christian-Social Party (CSU)

41%

40%

Social Democratic Party (SPD)

31%

31%

Left Party (Linke)

9%

9%

Green Party (Grune)

8%

9%

Free Democratic Party (FDP)

7%

6%

Source: FG Wahlen / ZDF
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,352 German adults, conducted from Dec. 11 to Dec. 13, 2007. Margin of error is 2.7 per cent.