Germany's favorite for next chancellor: Poll results
Boris Pistorius, Minister of Defense of Germany (Getty Images)
Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has emerged as the frontrunner for the chancellorship, according to the latest poll. He has surpassed current Chancellor Olaf Scholz and opposition leader Friedrich Merz in popularity, according to survey data from the Forsa Institute.
According to the poll:
- 39% of respondents would like to see Pistorius as the next chancellor;
- 25% would support the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader Merz.
Among supporters of the CDU and Christian Social Union (CSU), 22% also expressed support for Pistorius.
Meanwhile, within the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), 58% of those polled preferred the current Defense Minister as the next chancellor, while only 30% supported Scholz.
Only 13% of all voters believe Scholz should be his party’s candidate for chancellor in the upcoming election.
Elections in Germany
Germany has recently seen speculation about the possibility of early elections following the dissolution of the coalition led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Scholz has announced his readiness to bring a confidence vote to the Bundestag. At the same time, opposition parties are considering forming a new coalition with Scholz’s party, but without him in a leadership role.
An early election could impact not only Germany’s domestic policies but also its foreign policy, especially regarding relations with Ukraine. A change in government might affect Berlin’s stance on military and financial support for Kyiv. For more details, see RBC-Ukraine's report.
