AfD’s Lead Turns Merz’s Collapse Into a Ferocious Warning for Germany

Germany’s political backlash is now hitting the heart of the government. Friedrich Merz is not just losing momentum; he has become the least popular major politician in the country, even as anger over welfare, migration and economic pressure keeps building. Michael Heaver looks at the collapse in Merz’s ratings, with only a tiny share of conservative voters now holding a positive view of the conservative chancellor. He examines the growing dissatisfaction with Germany’s conservative–Social Democrat coalition, the public demand for welfare reform linked to migrants, and the widening pressure from the AfD. With the AfD now five points ahead of the conservatives, leading as Germany’s most popular party, and also trusted more than any rival to handle the country’s problems, the backlash is becoming impossible to ignore.