Emmanuel Thomas I DPA, Friday, July 21, 2023
BERLIN – Support for Germany’s Green Party, which is part of the ruling coalition government, continues to erode, according to a poll that shows the party at its lowest level of support in more than five years.
The survey released on Friday by public broadcaster ARD showed if parliamentary elections were held on Sunday, the Greens would only receive 13% of the vote, 1 percentage point less than in the previous poll a fortnight ago.
It’s been more than five years since support was so low for the environmental party.
A plan from Economy Minister Robert Habeck, a Green Party member, to exchange environmentally unfriendly oil and gas heating systems for heat pumps and other more climate-friendly technologies has put many Germans on edge.
They worry about replacement costs, although the government has said those with functioning systems would not be forced to replace them and subsidies will be available.
The conservatives of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party the Christian Social Union (CSU), which are not part of the ruling coalition government, would remain the strongest party with 28%, the poll said.
The right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) would maintain its current 20%.
The other coalition partners – the Social Democratic Party (SPD) of Chancellor Olaf Scholz – and the business-oriented Free Democratic Party (FDP) would also hold on to their approval ratings of 18% and 7% respectively if there were a federal election on Sunday.
The Left Party would continue to receive 4% of the vote and therefore not be represented in the Bundestag.
Germany has a minimum threshold of 5% for parliamentary representation. Polls on the so-called Sunday question, in which people are asked who they would vote for if there were an election on the following Sunday – are regularly conducted and released in Germany.
