Which countries are reliable partners for Germany? How do citizens rate Chancellor Merz? What do they think of the US and Israel and who would they vote for?
How to prepare for a meeting with US President Donald Trump? This is perhaps the question every head of state or government must answer today, after Trump publicly humiliated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in the Oval Office.
German government spokesman Stefan Cornelius emphasized that Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) traveled to Washington relaxed, among other things due to the fact that Germany is the third largest economy in the world and has a lot to offer.
Much more money for defense
Friedrich Merz presented in Washington, among other things, a plan to make the Bundeswehr "the strongest conventional army in Europe." The US president likes this, as well as the fact that it is being considered that all NATO members should allocate five percent of GDP to defense in the future.
However, only half of German citizens think this is appropriate. For a third of those surveyed, the five percent target goes too far. This is shown by the results of the latest ARD DeutschlandTrend public opinion poll, for which the Infratest dimap agency surveyed 1,292 German voters at the beginning of June.
The pollsters also asked citizens what their expectations were from the meeting between Trump and Merz at the White House: 46 percent of them believe that the German chancellor will succeed in establishing a good relationship with the US president, while 44 percent believe that he will not succeed in doing so.
Essentially, 47 percent of citizens believe that the chancellor does not have sufficient diplomatic skills for foreign policy challenges, while 40 percent still attribute these skills to him.
Which sites are reliable?
Close ties with the United States, as well as with Israel, are part of the identity of German politics. At the same time, it is clear that the distance has increased - in the eyes of voters too. After Donald Trump took office, trust in this country fell sharply to the current 18 percent.
In October 2024, 27 percent of Germans believed that Israel was a reliable partner that Germany could trust - now only 16 percent think so. And only 10 percent of German voters trust Russia as a partner.
In this regard, Ukraine has the support of 48 percent, while neighboring France is traditionally rated highly - currently at 83 percent.
Harsh criticism of Israel
Israel's military response to attacks by the terrorist organization Hamas in the fall of 2023 left its mark. A full 63 percent of German citizens believe that Israel's action in the Gaza Strip is excessive, while only 18 percent see it as appropriate.
A full 77 percent of respondents believe it is correct that Chancellor Merz criticized Israel for its current military actions in the Gaza Strip. Only one in 12 Germans believes that Germany should unconditionally stand by Israel in the Middle East conflict.
At the same time, almost half of those surveyed find it difficult to accept the idea of a special German obligation to defend Israel. Germans previously blamed Hamas more than Israel for the humanitarian situation of the Palestinian civilian population in Gaza.
Now almost equal numbers of citizens blame both Israel (69 percent) and the Islamist Hamas (71 percent).
As a result, the majority is open to a review of German military aid: 43 percent favor limiting arms exports to Israel, while another 30 percent favor a complete cessation of supplies.
Only one in six respondents (17 percent) believe that the German government should continue to approve arms exports to Israel without changes. Germany is, after the US, the most important arms supplier to Israel.
Friedrich Merz's reputation grew
A new federal government consisting of the CDU/CSU and the SPD has been in power since May. 40 percent of citizens are satisfied with the first weeks of the red-black coalition's work. With the previous government of the SPD, the Greens and the FDP, at the beginning of 2022, this percentage was slightly higher - 46 percent.
However, Friedrich Merz has gained significantly in popularity since taking office as chancellor. 39 percent of respondents are now satisfied with his job - a full 14 percent less in April. Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) also has 39 percent support.
The only senior politician with whom most citizens are still satisfied is Federal Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius (SPD).
Moderate expectations from the new government
How much trust do Germans have in the new government? When it comes to satisfaction, attitudes do not differ much from those recorded by pollsters immediately after the snap parliamentary elections.
Half of citizens believe that the new government team can strengthen the German economy (55 percent; +1), as well as better represent German interests in the world (52 percent; +1).
However, skepticism is greater - and has increased slightly - when it comes to establishing security in the country (43 percent; -4) and effective migration management (38 percent; -4).
Doubts that the red-black coalition can maintain social security in Germany have also increased (37 percent; -6).
CDU/CSU alliance increases lead over AfD
If the Bundestag were to be re-elected next Sunday, the CDU/CSU would win 29 percent of the vote (+2), a better result than in the February elections. The SPD, which is in the governing coalition with the Union, saw a slight decline and would fall to 15 percent (-1).
The AfD would remain at the same level with 23 percent support. The Greens and the Left could count on twelve (+1) and nine percent (-1), respectively. All other parties would remain outside the Bundestag./ DW (A2 Televizion)
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