17 April 2026
A new ZDF poll by Forschungsgruppe Wahlen puts the far‑right Alternative for Germany (AfD) narrowly ahead of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative CDU/CSU alliance, with the AfD on 26% and the CDU/CSU on 25%. The centre‑left Social Democrats (SPD) fell to 12%, the Greens to 14%, the Left rose to 11%, the Free Democrats (FDP) polled at 3% and other parties together accounted for 9%.
The survey highlights rising public dissatisfaction with the ruling coalition (CDU, CSU and SPD), driven in part by higher fuel prices tied to the war involving Iran. Some 81% of respondents said government measures were inadequate, and 57% judged the energy transition to be progressing too slowly. Overall approval of the coalition dropped to 27% (from 34% in March), while Chancellor Merz’s personal approval slid to 30%, his lowest score so far. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius ranked as the most popular federal minister in the poll, followed by Green politician Cem Özdemir and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul; Merz placed eighth. Other pollsters, including YouGov, INSA and Forsa, have reported similar trends, with some showing an even larger AfD lead.
Other notable stories from Germany on 17 April 2026:
– Tarantulas left on train: A regional train driver found a box labeled “Spiders and Scorpions” on a service from Herrenberg to Tübingen. Federal police at Tübingen station opened the package and discovered 20 Brazilian tarantulas (Avicularia geroldi), each housed in individual containers with paperwork indicating compliance with species‑protection rules. All spiders were unharmed and were later collected by their owner.
– Lufthansa pilot strike causes cancellations: Pilots represented by the Vereinigung Cockpit union continued a two‑day strike, forcing hundreds of cancellations at Frankfurt and disrupting flights across Lufthansa, CityLine, Eurowings and the cargo arm. The dispute centers on pension demands; earlier cabin crew strikes had already added to disruption. Lufthansa said about 70% of its network was still operating, largely with non‑striking subsidiaries. The airline also announced it would immediately close its CityLine subsidiary, citing strike pressure and high fuel costs — a move the pilots’ union criticized.
– Police rescue ducklings from highway: Traffic police near Bühl responded after motorists reported a duck family attempting to cross a busy road. Officers found four ducklings in a grass verge; not all survived. The rescued birds were placed in a service cap lined with grass and taken to a local animal shelter.
– Augsburg mourns Alexander Manninger: Bundesliga side Augsburg paid tribute to former goalkeeper Alexander Manninger, who died at 48 after colliding with a local train near Salzburg. Manninger played for Augsburg from 2012 to 2016, had earlier spells in Italy and at Arsenal, earned 33 caps for Austria and retired in 2017.
– Stranded humpback whale ‘Timmy’: Preparations resumed to attempt to refloat a humpback whale that has repeatedly stranded along Germany’s Baltic coast since early March. Private rescue groups, operating with approval from Mecklenburg‑Vorpommern authorities but at their own risk, readied air cushions and pontoons to try to tow the animal toward the North Sea or Atlantic. Officials and experts have said the whale appears ill and in poor condition; earlier scientific assessments led to a pause in efforts because attempts could cause harm. Live footage showed the whale thrashing when a diver approached, prompting rescuers to pull back; it later appeared calmer. Backers of the renewed rescue, including entrepreneur Walter Gunz and Karin Walter‑Mommert, say they want to give the whale a chance despite long odds.