Traffic light one year after taking office without a majority

Berlin After about a year of joint government, the SPD and FDP have lost favor with the voters, according to an Insa survey – the Greens, on the other hand, have gained ground. In the Sunday trend of the opinion research institute for the “Bild am Sonntag”, the three governing parties together come to 44 percent.

The Social Democrats lose the most clearly: The SPD only achieves 20 percent in the Sunday question – that is around six percentage points less than in the 2021 federal election. Compared to the previous week, approval has also fallen by one point.

The FDP is at seven percent, which is almost five points less than at the polls in September last year. Compared to the previous week, however, the value is unchanged.

The Greens alone are looking better than they were twelve months ago: they are the only governing party that can make gains. The party achieved 17 percent, around two points more than in the election. However, the Greens lost half a point compared to the previous week.

The Union, on the other hand, can increase significantly: it is 28 percent in the survey – compared to 24.1 percent in the federal election and 27 percent in the previous week. The AfD stands at 15 percent (election 10.3 percent, previous week 15 percent). Respondents were asked who they would vote for if there were general elections next Sunday.

Dobrindt gives traffic light coalition “a smooth 5” after one year

The head of the CSU deputy in the Bundestag, Alexander Dobrindt, sharply criticized the traffic light coalition after its first year in government: “The traffic light has not yet developed a joint project. Retaining power is the glue that holds this government together, and ideology rules instead of reason,” Dobrindt told the “Bild am Sonntag”. “If you were to grade dispute, the traffic light would even have earned a 2. The government work, however, unfortunately gets a straight 5.”

>> Read also: The progress fairy tale – a balance of the first year of the traffic light coalition

The government made up of the SPD, Greens and FDP started its work almost a year ago under the motto “Dare to make more progress”. Olaf Scholz (SPD) took his oath of office as chancellor on December 8th.

With regard to the energy price brake, Dobrindt said: “Not everything is wrong, but some things are missing. The government is putting billions in the air, but cannot say when the money will reach the citizens.” Anyone who has to deal with the skyrocketing costs of oil or pellets gets nothing.

The relief for electricity and heating should come immediately, not retrospectively from March. “It needs direct payments as an advance on the relief in January and February, otherwise companies will stop production and private households will be over-indebted.”

>> Read also: Ampel plans price increase ban for electricity and gas – Tariff adjustments by suppliers only possible in exceptional cases

The gas and electricity price brake planned by the traffic light coalition is intended to cushion the consequences of the sharp rise in prices for households and companies. A certain amount of consumption should be subsidized by the state, and current, high market prices apply. The brakes should take effect from March 2023, but retrospective relief is planned for January and February.

Election polls are generally subject to uncertainties. Among other things, declining party ties and increasingly short-term voting decisions make it difficult for the opinion research institutes to weight the data collected.

In principle, surveys only reflect the opinion at the time of the survey and are not a forecast of the outcome of the election. The next federal election is scheduled for 2025.

More: “Deutschlandtrend” survey sees Union at 30 percent – traffic light parties lose