CSU leader Markus Söder has urged the black-red coalition to work more closely together and prioritize the country over party interests. Polls show the government losing support, with the AfD still leading. Söder emphasizes the need for swift reforms, especially in the economy.
Markus Söder, CSU leader and Bavarian Minister-President, urged the Union-SPD coalition in an interview with Bild am Sonntag to pull more closely together. 'A coalition must not get stuck in party thinking,' he said. 'In the end, it's not about tactical gains, but what is right and important. Country always comes before party.'
Söder warned that politics must orient itself more strongly towards the middle of society. 'People have a good sense of justice. We don't need academic debates, but pragmatic solutions,' he emphasized. He also demanded speed in reforms: 'We need tempo, tempo, tempo. The economy must now be the absolute top priority for the federal government. We have to get it running again. The principle must be: less bureaucracy and more trust in the economy.'
The black-red federal government under Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) has been in office since May 6, almost half a year. Current polls, however, show no majority for the coalition. In the Sonntagstrend by the Insa institute for Bild am Sonntag, the AfD leads with 26 percent (-1), the Union at 24 percent (-1), the SPD at 15 percent (+1). Greens and Left at 11 percent each, BSW and FDP at 4 percent each – based on 1,205 respondents. In the ZDF Politbarometer, the Union scores 27 percent, the AfD 25 percent.
Polls are fraught with uncertainties, as declining party ties and short-term decisions complicate weighting. Dissatisfaction with the government has also risen: 66 percent of 1,003 respondents are dissatisfied (+3 percentage points since October 10), only 25 percent satisfied (-3). 49 percent believe it's likely the coalition won't last until 2029, only 32 percent think it will.