(Angus Reid Global Scan) - The coalition of the Christian-Democratic Union (CSU) and the Bavarian Christian-Social Party (CSU) remains the most popular political group in Germany, according to a poll by Forsa released by Stern and RTL. 46 per cent of respondents would support the alliance in the next federal election.

The governing Social Democratic Party (SPD) of chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is second with 27 per cent, followed by the coalition of the Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS) and the Electoral Alternative for Labour and Social Justice (WASG) with 10 per cent, the Green Party (Grune) with seven per cent, and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) also with seven per cent.

On Jul. 1, Schroeder deliberately lost a no-confidence motion in the Federal Diet after a 151-296 vote, with 148 abstentions. German president Horst Koehler has 21 days to decide whether to call an early election. There is growing speculation that the ballot could be scheduled for Sept. 18.

On Jul. 11, CDU chancellor candidate Angela Merkel presented her coalition's election manifesto, saying, "There hasn't been such an honest election program in a long time. (...) We are convinced that Germany has never had it so bad as today. Germany is now bottom in Europe in economic growth." The country's unemployment rate was 11.8 per cent in March, meaning 4.8 million adults are looking for work.

The document calls for specific measures to create jobs and foster economic growth, as well as an increase in the value added tax. On the foreign policy front, Merkel has offered to "reinvigorate" diplomacy with the United States. Schroeder's government ruled out any involvement in the Iraq coalition effort without an explicit mandate from the United Nations (UN) Security Council.

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