PM Modi Most Popular Leader, German Chancellor Merz Most Unpopular: Survey

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has emerged as the least popular leader in a survey conducted across 24 democracies, with around 76% of respondents saying they were dissatisfied with his work.

This has put the German statesman far behind leaders such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung. PM Modi emerged as the most popular in the survey, conducted by Morning Consult, a US-based opinion research institute that compiled a seven-day moving average of views. 

Friedrich Merz Most Unpopular Leader

The survey by Morning Consult is not the only one that attests to Merz's unpopularity with German voters. A survey conducted by Forsa on behalf of RTL recently produced similar results. Around 78% of respondents claimed that they were dissatisfied with Merz's policies, Euronews reported.

With his poor ratings, Merz has fallen below former Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Even at his lowest point, Scholz enjoyed more popularity than Merz, surveys reported. In mid-June 2024, 28% of respondents said they were satisfied with Scholz's work as chancellor.

Since he took office last year, Merz announced an "autumn of reforms" to bring Germany back on track. However, the promises never materialised, a report by DW stated. 

A recent survey by Deutschlandtrend revealed that 84% of respondents are dissatisfied with Merz's performance. The leaders of the ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU)/Christian Social Union (CSU) and the Social Democrats (SPD) coalition have seen a significant loss in public trust. Both Merz (21% approval rating) and Vice Chancellor and SPD leader Lars Klingbeil (18 % approval rating) have reached their lowest popularity levels since taking office. 

This dissatisfaction is seen in the approval ratings of the parties as well. If a federal election were to be held now, the CDU/CSU and SPD would be unable to secure a majority. Both have lost two percentage points compared to last March.

Other Leaders In The Survey

As per the survey, PM Modi received an approval rating of 70%. He was followed by South Korean President Lee Jae-myung (63%). Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš was in the third position, with 55% of respondents saying that they were satisfied with his work. 

French President Emmanuel Macron emerged as the second-most unpopular leader, with 75% of respondents expressing their dissatisfaction with his work. US President Donald Trump was in the 10th position from the bottom, despite initiating a war with Iran. Around 38% of Americans said they approved of Trump's work.