August 12, 2007

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Angela Merkel is enjoying a positive wave of public support this year, according to a poll by Infratest-Dimap. 75 per cent of respondents approve of the federal chancellor's performance, unchanged since July.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Angela Merkel is enjoying a positive wave of public support this year, according to a poll by Infratest-Dimap. 75 per cent of respondents approve of the federal chancellor's performance, unchanged since July.

Official results from the September 2005 election to the Federal Diet gave Merkel's Christian-Democratic Union (CDU) and the Bavarian Christian-Social Party (CSU) 226 seats, with the Social Democratic Party (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, 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. 9, Merkel—who has positioned herself as a leader in the fight against climate change—and her cabinet ministers agreed to pass legislation that will gradually phase-out Germany's 200-year-old coal mining industry. Juergen Ruettgers, governor of the western state of North-Rhine Westphalia, declared: "This is a historic day in the history of Germany's industry." Economy minister and CSU member Michael Glos also greeted the decision, claiming it was "clear that coal no longer had a future."

Polling Data

Are you satisfied or dissatisfied with the performance of Angela Merkel as chancellor?

	Aug. 2007	Jul. 2007	Jun. 2007
Satisfied	75%	75%	69%
Dissatisfied	24%	24%	30%
Not sure	1%	1%	1%

Source: Infratest-Dimap
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,500 German voters, conducted on Jul. 30 to Aug. 1, 2007. Margin of error is 2.5 per cent.