German chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) took advantage in a recent interview with the magazine Der Spiegel to complain about the criticism directed at him on social media. He said he only visits the internet occasionally and explained:
“But if you take a look at what is being spread about me there, how I am attacked and disparaged – no chancellor before me has ever had to endure anything like this.”
With these words, Merz positions himself in the interview published on April 29 as a martyr of an allegedly unprecedented smear campaign.
At the same time, Merz stresses that he speaks openly about what he believes to be right and is prepared to face controversial debates. He does not want to compromise his principles. In an interview with Der Spiegel, Merz himself admits that the coalition often struggles to reach agreement on positions with “a grim face” and thus acknowledges a significant rift between the coalition partners, the CDU and the SPD.
In a recent Forsa poll for RTL and ntv, Merz’s approval rating stands at just 15 per cent, with 83 per cent dissatisfied. The INSA politician ranking for the Bild newspaper places him in last place for the first time. In the ARD Deutschland-Trend, satisfaction with his work has fallen to 21 per cent. Internationally, Merz even tops the list of the most unpopular heads of government, with 76 per cent dissatisfaction.