ARD Poll: Only 10% Satisfied With Merz, Lowest for Any Chancellor Since 1997

An ARD survey published on October 1, 2026 found just 10% of Germans satisfied or very satisfied with Chancellor Friedrich Merz's work, the lowest rating for any chancellor since 1997, following the CDU's collapse in the September 20 state elections (failing the 5% threshold in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, second place in Berlin behind the Left). Analysts describe the CDU as caught in a dilemma between pressure from the AfD on its right and the Left on its left. The next major electoral test is North Rhine-Westphalia in April 2027.