Slight losses for Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative alliance of the Christian Democratic Union and Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU), and small gains for their coalition partner, the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), are the main findings of the ARD-Deutschlandtrend poll by infratest-dimap. Around 1,300 representative voters were surveyed between February 2 and 4.

A majority of respondents say they are worried about inequality in Germany and feel the gap between rich and poor is growing. Twenty-four percent trust the Social Democrats most to deliver greater social justice — the highest share among parties.

In February, 62% said injustice is increasing, up two percentage points from July last year. Most respondents say the rich-poor divide is widening, and 13% more than a year ago think the tax and social security burden is unfairly distributed. Only 9% say foreign nationals and asylum-seekers receive preferential treatment over Germans.

Overall satisfaction with the government rose slightly. At the start of February, CDU/CSU support stood at 26%, a small drop from the previous month. The Social Democrats gained two percentage points, a rebound they haven’t seen in some time. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) also slipped a bit but remains the second-strongest party at 24%. The Greens and the Left Party stayed at their January levels of 12% and 10%, respectively.

Pollsters link the SPD’s uptick to party leader and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil, whose personal approval has risen by five points after he took a tougher line criticizing policies of US President Donald Trump.

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) remains the most respected politician in Germany, followed by Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU). Chancellor Merz ranks lower, with 25% approval.

Merz has sparked controversy with remarks about Germans’ work ethic. In early January he warned that “prosperity cannot be maintained with a four-day work week and an exaggerated work-life balance,” and cited an average of 14.5 sick-leave days per employee per year, asking, “Is that really necessary?” The debate intensified when the CDU’s economic wing labeled “lifestyle part-time” a problem and proposed limiting the right to part-time work — introduced in 2001 — to those caring for children or sick relatives or pursuing education.

Social spending is the largest item in the federal budget, driven mainly by pension supplements, welfare payments and health costs. A group of CDU-affiliated entrepreneurs even suggested health insurers should not cover dental treatment.

In January, a government expert commission presented proposals to modernize the welfare state. There is broad agreement that social security needs reform: 71% of those surveyed said it would be positive if social benefits could also be applied for online.

This article was originally written in German.

While you’re here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter, Berlin Briefing.

Slight losses for Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative bloc, the CDU/CSU, and small gains for their coalition partner, the Social Democrats (SPD), are the main findings of the ARD-Deutschlandtrend poll by infratest-dimap, which surveyed about 1,300 representative voters between February 2 and 4.

A majority of respondents deplore inequality and see the gap between rich and poor widening. Twenty-four percent trust the SPD most to ensure greater social justice, the highest share among parties. In February, 62% said injustice is on the rise, up two percentage points from July. Most respondents said the gap between rich and poor is widening, and 13% more than a year ago said they believe the tax and social security burden is unfairly distributed. Only 9% now say foreign nationals and asylum-seekers are given preferential treatment over Germans.

Overall satisfaction with the government rose slightly. At the start of February, the CDU/CSU stood at 26% voter support, a slight loss from a month earlier. The SPD gained two percentage points, a rare uptick. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) dipped slightly but remained the second-strongest force at 24%. The Greens and the Left Party held at 12% and 10%, respectively.

Pollsters attribute the SPD’s gains to party leader and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil, whose personal popularity rose five points after he criticized the policies of US President Donald Trump. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) remains the most respected politician in Germany, followed by Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU). Chancellor Merz trails at 25%.

Chancellor Merz drew criticism for comments on Germans’ work ethics earlier in the year. He warned that prosperity cannot be maintained with a four-day workweek and an “exaggerated” work-life balance, and pointed to an average of 14.5 sick-leave days per employee per year, asking, “Is that really necessary?” The debate intensified when the CDU’s economic wing labeled “lifestyle part-time” a problem and suggested limiting the right to part-time work—introduced in 2001—to those caring for children or sick relatives or pursuing education.

Social spending is the largest item in the federal budget, driven mainly by pension supplements, welfare payments and health costs. A CDU-affiliated entrepreneurs’ association suggested health insurers need not cover dental treatment. In January, a commission of experts presented proposals to modernize the welfare state; there is broad agreement that social security needs reform. Seventy-one percent of those surveyed said it would be good if social benefits could also be applied for online.

This article was originally written in German.

While you’re here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter, Berlin Briefing.