Angela Merkel opponents record biggest rise in popularity in polling company's history
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The lead in voter support for German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative alliance over the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) shrank to a multi-year low of 4 percentage points, an opinion poll showed on Sunday.
The SPD, which a week ago appointed Martin Schulz as leader, scored 29 per cent in the survey published in newspaper Bild am Sonntag - a six-point jump that Bild said was the biggest pollster Emnid had ever recorded for the party.
The jump took SPD support to its highest in over four years.
Support for Merkel's CDU and its Bavarian sister party, the CSU, fell 4 points to 33 percent - cutting the gap between the two blocs to its narrowest in records compiled by poll tracker wahlrecht.de going back to Sept 2013.
"Martin Schulz is managing above all to win back former SPD voters and to appeal to them emotionally," Emnid's Torsten Schneider-Haase told the newspaper, adding: "Such a strong shift in party preferences within a week is a one-off."
The SPD appointed Schulz, a former European Parliament president, as leader last Sunday, replacing Sigmar Gabriel who said he was standing aside to boost the party's chances.
The move has re-energised the SPD, junior partner in Merkel's 'grand coalition', ahead of September's federal election.
Schulz has vowed to unseat Merkel with a campaign aimed at overcoming "deep divisions" that he says have fuelled populism in Germany in recent years.
In a theoretical head-to-head contest for chancellor, the Emnid poll showed Merkel pipping the Social Democrat to victory with 41 percent support to his 38 percent.
The SPD has held exploratory talks with the environmentalist Greens and the far-left Linke party about forming a left-leaning coalition government after the election but they need more support if that is to become a viable option.
The Emnid poll - a survey of 2,233 voters conducted from Jan. 26 to Feb. 2 - showed support for both the Greens and the Linke falling 2 points to 8 percent.
The anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) was unchanged on 11 percent, with the liberal Free Democrats (FDP) on 6 percent, also unchanged.
Schulz has called for higher wage increases for workers, described U.S. President Donald Trump's policies as "un-American" and warned against lifting sanctions imposed against Russia over its role in the Ukraine crisis.
Merkel is meeting her Bavarian allies on Sunday for two days of talks aimed at rallying their troubled alliance ahead the Sept. 24 election, which she expects to be "tough like no other".
Reuters
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments