Most Germans Expect Merz to Resign Before 2029 Elections

Poll: most Germans predict Merz's resignation before the elections.

Consensus

A YouGov poll conducted from August 14 to 17 among 2,190 adult Germans found that most respondents expect Chancellor Friedrich Merz to leave office before the 2029 parliamentary elections.
36% of respondents expect Merz to resign before the 2027 elections, and 18% expect his resignation by the end of 2026.
Only 29% believe Merz will remain in office until at least the 2029 elections.
Merz's government reshuffle in July did not strengthen his authority, with 36% stating he lost significant influence and 31% saying he lost part of his authority.
Only 1% of respondents believe the reshuffle significantly strengthened Merz's position.
The poll was conducted by YouGov for DPA and involved 2,190 participants.
The most frequently mentioned successor to Merz is Hendrik Wüst, the premier of North Rhine-Westphalia, supported by 25% of respondents.
Only 9% of respondents consider Merz more suitable for chancellor than Wüst.
66% of respondents were unable to name a more suitable candidate.

The CDU/CSU bloc is discussing a potential replacement of Friedrich Merz with Hendrik Wüst, according to Politico. — kommersant
Merz was booed during his first working day after a vacation when he visited the village of Gai to thank firefighters for their work during a fire. — vedomosti
A separate INSA poll for Bild in June found that 77% of Germans disapprove of Merz's work, with only 15% approving. — vedomosti
The poll's publication coincided with a challenging period for the German government, as right-wing party AfD is expected to perform strongly in September regional elections. — vedomosti
Merz's government reshuffle was seen by 36% as causing a significant loss of authority and 31% as a partial loss. — kommersant
Merz's government reshuffle caused a significant loss of influence in the party for 36% of respondents. — vedomosti