German poll: Majority reject blanket AfD exclusion, demand change

A recent ARD-Deutschlandtrend poll shows that 55 % of respondents call for a “fundamental change” in Germany, while only 37 % think minor corrections are enough and 4 % want the status quo to remain. In the former East German states, the demand for change is even higher at 64 %.

The same survey reveals that 59 % of Germans can imagine cooperating with the Alternative for Germany (AfD). Of those, 32 % say cooperation should be decided “case by case,” and 27 % argue that active collaboration with the party should be sought. Overall, only 37 % want to exclude any cooperation with the AfD, with a lower share in the east (26 %).

Regarding the new cabinet under CDU leader Friedrich Merz, just 12 % expect it to improve the government’s performance, while 11 % think it will make things worse. Only 14 % express satisfaction with Merz himself, and 13 % are satisfied with the government overall. In the poll’s party preferences, the AfD leads with 28 % support, ahead of the Union at 21 %, the Greens at 15 %, the SPD at 12 % and the Left at 11 %.