Record unpopularity for Olaf Scholz in Germany. The Chancellor, who came to power in December 2021, is now only supported by a quarter of the public. The challenges are piling up for Angela Merkel’s successor.
With our correspondent in Berlin, Nathalie Versieux
Only 25% positive opinions and 62% dissatisfied: the popularity of Olaf Scholz and that of his government have been in free fall since March and the start of the war in Ukraine. In the spring again, 46% of Germans said they were satisfied with their chancellor. In the event of an early election, the current majority would only receive 48% of the vote while, week after week, the Conservatives are chipping away at points in the polls.
German concerns
In fact, the Germans are worried. The country is, among the industrialized countries, one of the most affected by the consequences of the war in Ukraine. Inflation will be close to 10% this year, analysts predict a loss of GDP of 260 billion euros by 2030 and 300,000 fewer jobs this year due to the explosion in gas prices.
Vulnerable
Above all, a large section of the population expects not to be able to pay its heating bill this winter, while half of Germans are equipped with a gas boiler. The Germans, who had overcome without too much damage the financial and euro crises, the arrival of migrants and the pandemic are suddenly finding themselves vulnerable. The hesitant style of management of Olaf Scholz completes to destabilize them.
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