FDP most likely to blame for the dispute
Germans want more oomph from the Chancellor
May 21, 2024, 3:41 p.m
The traffic lights are arguing – but who is to blame? After all, more than a third of voters point the finger at the FDP – the highest figure for one of the coalition partners. The proportion of citizens who would like to hear a word of power from the Chancellor in the Chancellery is much higher.
The traffic lights have to last for more than a year if they want to reach the regular election date in September 2025. But almost since the first day in office, the SPD, Greens and FDP have been at loggerheads – with what feels like an increasing intensity and at the same time a decreasing willingness to compromise. The current conflict issues are the struggle over the household and basic child security. In the current dispute, more than one in three Germans sees the FDP as being to blame. As can be seen from the RTL/ntv trend barometer, almost three out of four respondents would like the Chancellor to take tougher action in everyday government.
When asked which party bears the greatest responsibility for the current disputes within the three-party coalition, 36 percent of eligible voters point to the Liberals. At least 30 percent see the Greens as responsible. Only one in nine (11 percent) blame the SPD for responsibility. At least 14 percent think that none of them stands out and see all three parties as being to blame.
Fingers from the SPD and Greens point particularly often at the FDP: every second SPD supporter (50 percent) and at least 78 percent of Green Party sympathizers consider the Liberals to be the source of the current dispute. Almost 56 percent of FDP supporters now blame the Greens. 37 percent of BSW supporters and 39 percent of Union voters also see the Greens as the main culprit – this is the highest value in each case when it comes to the question of responsibility. Among AfD voters, 58 percent are certain that the Greens are the culprits.
In view of the conflicts that keep breaking out in the coalition, 73 percent of those surveyed believe that Prime Minister Olaf Scholz from the SPD should take stronger action. Only 16 percent of German citizens think that the Chancellor makes sufficient use of his directive authority.
Remarkable: Even among SPD supporters, the proportion of those who demand more leadership from the Chancellor is 74 percent, higher than the national average. Meanwhile, the voters of the coalition partners are a little more lenient with the Chancellor’s approach: “Only” 64 percent of the Green Party supporters and 67 percent of the FDP party supporters want more power words from the Chancellor’s office.
Not surprisingly, 79 percent of Union supporters, 84 percent of AfD voters and 87 percent of BSW sympathizers are voting for more Scholz moments in the government.
According to its own information, Forsa interviewed a total of 1,007 German citizens for the survey on May 16th and 17th. The error tolerance is therefore three points.
Further information about Forsa here.
Forsa surveys commissioned by RTL Deutschland.