Dark clouds gather over the current German Chancellor and find it hard to search praise among the Germans themselves. [According to a survey conducted by the Fors Institute for tv station RTL](https://www.n-tv.de/politik/RTL-ntv-Trendbarometer-Zufriedenheit-mit-Merz-sinkt-in-den-Keller-die-AfD-ueberholt-die-Union-article25959624.html) in the second week of August 2025, the combined support for the parties forming the governing coalition (CDU/CSU and SPD) reached a evidence low level of 37%. Support for CDU/CSU fell to 24% and SPD recorded about 13%.
