German voters tiring of Merkel, ruling coalition
May 12, 2016
German voters are tiring of Chancellor Angela Merkel after 11 years at the helm of the government, according to a new poll.
In the survey, conducted by polling company Insa for the German magazine "Cicero," only 36 percent of respondents said they wanted Merkel and her Christian Democrats (CDU) to lead the government following federal elections in 2017.
Merkel has come under criticism for her open door policy on migration, which saw more than 1.1 million migrants, many from the war-torn Middle East, arrive in Germany last year.
The influx has slowed this year following the closure of the main Balkan route which migrants used to reach Germany.
However, implementation of a controversial migration deal between the EU and Turkey remains up in the air.
SPD plummets, AfD on the rise
Support for the CDU and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), has fallen to 33 percent, according to recent polls.
Differences over the migration issue have increased tensions between the two parties.
The conservatives' coalition partner, the Social Democrats (SPD), have also seen their approval rating plummet to just 20 percent.
The anti-immigrant Alternative for German (AfD) has meanwhile moved from being a marginal party to securing 15 percent support.