Every second German wants Merkel to step down early: survey
A new survey shows that Germans are losing patience with Frau Merkel, after she has failed to form a new government three months after the national election.
The poll, conducted by YouGov for the German Press Agency, shows that 47 percent of respondents want Angela Merkel to step down from her office as German Chancellor before the next national election, scheduled to take place in 2021.
Photo: DPA
Meanwhile only 36 percent said that, if Merkel is eventually re-elected as Chancellor, that she should stay in office for the full four years.
The results of the poll show a marked drop in public support for the Chancellor over a period of three months. In the weeks after the national election on September 24th, just 36 percent of respondents said that they wanted Merkel to stand down early, with 44 percent expressing the desire to see her complete the full four years.
Over three months after the election, it still remains unclear whether Merkel will manage to build a new government. Talks with the Green party and the Free Democrats collapsed in November, pushing the country into unchartered constitutional waters.
In January, Merkel’s Christian Union will enter preliminary talks with the wary Social Democrats (SPD) on extending a “grand coalition” between the two parties. The SPD originally ruled out joining another government after scoring one of their worst ever election results, but they were forced to reconsider to save the country from the prospect of re-running the elections.
Angela Merkel is one of the longest-serving Chancellors in German history, having taken up office in 2005.
