(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - More than a third of German voters would back the Christian-Democratic Union (CDU) or the Bavarian Christian-Social Party (CSU) in the next federal ballot, according to a poll by Infratest-Dimap. 36 per cent of respondents would support either party.

The Social Democratic Party (SPD) is second with 24 per cent, followed by the Left Party (Linke) with 14 per cent—up two points in a month—the Free Democratic Party (FDP) with 12 per cent, and the Green Party (Grune) with 11 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 Aug. 15, SPD member and environment minister Sigmar Gabriel called for his party to avoid any collaboration with the Left in regional politics, saying, "I urgently advise against putting ourselves in the hands of (Left leader Oskar) Lafontaine. Oskar Lafontaine is irresponsible. We should not follow his line."

Germany’s next federal ballot is tentatively scheduled for September 2009.

Polling Data

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

Source: Infratest-Dimap
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,501 German voters, conducted on Aug. 4 to Aug. 6, 2008. Margin of error is 2.5 per cent.

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