German Economy Minister Katherina Reiche Hits 75% Disapproval in New Poll

A Forsa poll commissioned by RTL and Stern surveyed 1,008 Germans on 11‑12 June 2026. Seventy‑five percent said Minister Katherina Reiche (CDU) is not the right person for the economy ministry, while only 15 % expressed satisfaction and 10 % were undecided. Disapproval was similar in East Germany (77 %) and West Germany (75 %).

Across party lines the backlash is broad: 66 % of CDU/CSU voters, 70 % of SPD supporters, 82 % of self‑employed respondents, 85 % of Greens and Left voters, and 81 % of AfD voters view her as unsuitable. The poll also showed that even many Union supporters (66 %) doubt her ability to meet Germany’s economic challenges.

In response to her poor image, Reiche has hired PR firms Scholz & Friends and FGS Global, budgeting up to €2.2 million a year, potentially rising to €8.8 million over a two‑year contract. She continues to promote nuclear options, recently replacing the head of the ministry’s nuclear‑technology unit—Micha Sygusch—with Lutz Reimers, a figure described as open to both Small Modular Reactors and fusion research.