Half of Germans Say Merkel Is Suited to Be Federal President, Poll Finds

Forsa surveyed 1,001 people between Oct. 30 and Nov. 2 for the RTL/ntv Trendbarometer, ntv reported. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Merkel also drew the strongest rejection of any name tested. Forty-six percent said she is not suited for the office.

How the Other Names Fared

Ilse Aigner, the CSU president of the Bavarian state parliament, placed second. Thirty-six percent rated her suited and 26% unsuited, while 38% had no opinion or did not know her.

Former interior minister Thomas de Maizière reached 33%, Politikwatch reported. Bundestag President Julia Klöckner got 28% but 51% rated her unsuited.

Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer drew 22% support and 60% opposition. Family minister Karin Prien reached 13%, and 57% had no opinion. Hesse’s Ines Claus, floated as a surprise pick, was unknown to 83%.

Support Splits by Party

Among SPD supporters, 57% see Merkel as suited. The figure is 64% among Greens supporters, 83% among Left supporters and 24% among AfD supporters.

Union voters lean elsewhere. Aigner leads with them at 64%, ahead of Klöckner at 55% and Merkel at 46%.

Merkel Has Shown No Interest

Merkel’s office called speculation about a candidacy “far-fetched” in February, Tagesspiegel reported. An August Forsa poll had put her at 47%, Bild reported.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz says the next president must be a woman, ZDFheute reported. “I will propose a joint candidate to the party, a candidate of the political center,” he told a CDU meeting.

The CDU leadership is due to settle on a nominee on Nov. 9. The Federal Convention votes on Jan. 30, ntv reported. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier cannot run again, and his term ends on March 18, RP Online reported.

The Merz-Merkel relationship is widely described as strained, Die Zeit reported. Merz is also under pressure after a string of weak state election results.