April 17, 2026
A new ZDF survey shows the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) edging ahead of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative CDU/CSU bloc. The poll, conducted by Forschungsgruppe Wahlen, placed the AfD at 26% and the CDU/CSU at 25%. The centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) slipped to 12%, the Greens to 14%, the Left rose to 11%, the Free Democrats (FDP) polled at 3%, and other parties combined at 9%.
The survey points to growing public frustration with the ruling coalition — CDU, CSU and SPD — particularly over rising fuel prices linked to the Iran war. Some 81% of respondents said government measures were insufficient, and 57% felt the energy transition was progressing too slowly. Overall satisfaction with the coalition fell to 27% (down from 34% in March), and approval of Chancellor Merz dropped to 30%, his lowest rating yet. Personal ratings also showed Defence Minister Boris Pistorius as the most popular, followed by Greens’ Cem Özdemir and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul; Merz placed eighth. Other polling institutes, including YouGov, INSA and Forsa, have recently produced similar results, with some surveys giving the AfD an even wider lead.
Other notable stories from Germany on April 17, 2026:
– Woman leaves 20 tarantulas on train: A regional train driver found a box labeled “Spiders and Scorpions” on a service from Herrenberg to Tübingen. Federal police inspected the package at Tübingen Hauptbahnhof and found 20 Brazilian tarantulas (Avicularia geroldi) each kept in individual containers with documentation showing compliance with species protection rules. All tarantulas were unharmed and collected later that day by their owner.
– Lufthansa pilot strike grounds flights: Pilots at Lufthansa, represented by the Vereinigung Cockpit union, continued a two-day strike that forced hundreds of cancellations at Frankfurt and affected Lufthansa, Cityline, Eurowings and the cargo division. The walkout, following earlier industrial action, centres on pension demands. Cabin crew strikes earlier in the week compounded disruptions. Lufthansa said about 70% of its overall flights still operated, including services by non-striking subsidiaries. The airline announced it would shut down its Cityline subsidiary immediately, citing strikes and high fuel costs; the pilots’ union criticized the decision.
– Police rescue ducklings from highway: Traffic police near Bühl rescued four ducklings after motorists reported a family trying to cross a highway. Officers found the birds in a grass verge; not all ducklings survived. The rescued animals were placed in a service cap lined with grass and taken to an animal shelter.
– Augsburg mourns Alexander Manninger: Bundesliga club Augsburg paid tribute to former goalkeeper Alexander Manninger, who died at 48 after a traffic collision with a local train near Salzburg. Manninger played for Augsburg from 2012 to 2016 and earlier had spells in Italy and with Arsenal; he earned 33 caps for Austria and retired in 2017.
– Stranded humpback whale “Timmy”: Rescue preparations resumed for a humpback whale that has been roaming and repeatedly stranding along Germany’s Baltic coast since early March. Private initiatives, approved by Mecklenburg-Vorpommern authorities but operating at their own risk, readied air cushions and pontoons to attempt refloating and towing the animal toward the North Sea or Atlantic. Officials and experts have described the whale as likely ill and in poor condition; earlier scientific assessments led to halted efforts as potentially harmful. Live footage showed the whale thrashing when a diver approached, prompting rescuers to pull back; it later calmed. High-profile backers of the latest rescue attempt include MediaMarkt founder Walter Gunz and entrepreneur Karin Walter-Mommert, who said they hoped to give the whale a chance despite slim odds.