Tuesday, December 7th, 2021
RTL / ntv trend barometer
Bad grades for Scholz’s corona policy
It was the first practical test before the traffic light coalition even stood: the answer to the dramatic corona development. Olaf Scholz could not convince with this, shows the new RTL / ntv trend barometer.
In the first week of the new traffic light coalition, the SPD gains one percentage point in the current RTL / ntv trend barometer compared to the previous week and now comes to 25 percent. The FDP gives way by one point and is currently 11 percent. The values for all other parties remain unchanged compared to the previous week. The Union still comes to 22 percent, the Greens to 17 percent, the AfD to 10 percent and the Left to 5 percent. The values for the other parties also remain unchanged with 10 percent approval.
Shortly before his election as Chancellor, Olaf Scholz’s profile of characteristics among the German citizens turned out to be worse for all of the characteristics asked than it was before the federal election. 34 percent (- 4 percentage points) consider Scholz to be likeable, 31 percent to be trustworthy (- 6 percentage points). 17 percent each think it is close to the people (- 9 percentage points) or believe that it has a good concept for Germany’s future (- 5 percentage points). 15 percent (compared to 26 percent before the federal election) think he is energetic and decisive and 11 percent (compared to 22 percent before the election) currently have the impression that he recognizes the problems ahead in good time. 49 percent (+ 17 percentage points) do not associate any of the characteristics with Scholz.
The majority of SPD supporters consider Scholz likeable (70 percent) and trustworthy (71 percent). However, even among the SPD supporters, only a minority ascribes all other characteristics to the future chancellor. Among the supporters of the Greens and especially the FDP, Scholz’s profile of characteristics is significantly worse than that of the SPD supporters. Of the Green supporters, 36 percent, and 47 percent of the FDP supporters, do not associate any of the above characteristics with Olaf Scholz.
An unchanged 11 percent of German citizens expect that Olaf Scholz, as Federal Chancellor, will govern the country better than Angela Merkel. 27 percent, and thus 7 percentage points more than at the beginning of November, believe that Olaf Scholz will govern the country worse than his predecessor. 57 percent do not expect any difference in this question. Of the SPD supporters, too, only a minority (25 percent) believe that Olaf Scholz will be a better chancellor than Angela Merkel. Of the supporters of the FDP, 37 percent believe that Olaf Scholz will govern the country worse than Angela Merkel than that he will govern the country better (6 percent).
Bad grades for Corona commitment
A large majority of 68 percent of German citizens are of the opinion that Olaf Scholz has not yet taken sufficient care of the fight against the corona pandemic. Only 17 percent consider their previous commitment to fighting the pandemic to be sufficient. A majority of supporters of the SPD (56 percent), Greens (67 percent) and FDP (64 percent) also find Olaf Scholz’s previous commitment to fighting the corona pandemic inadequate.
As in the previous week, 73 percent of German citizens are still in favor of a general vaccination requirement. 25 percent are against a general vaccination requirement. Only the AfD supporters, at 66 percent, are against a general compulsory vaccination.
Even after the tightening of the corona measures decided by the federal and state governments last Thursday, a majority of almost two thirds of German citizens still believe a lockdown is right. If the number of infections continues to rise, 65 percent of respondents are in favor of it, including closing shops, clubs and leisure facilities, exit and contact restrictions and a ban on major events. In the previous week it was 70 percent. 32 percent are against a general lockdown, even if the number of infections continues to rise.
For many, the tightening of the corona rules comes too late
The supporters of the SPD (79 percent), Greens (70 percent), Union (72 percent) and Left (66 percent) continue to speak out with a large majority in favor of a new lockdown if the number of infections continues to rise while the FDP supporters are in this question remains divided. 48 percent are for and 51 percent are against a lockdown. He is rejected by AfD supporters with a large majority of 74 percent.
Last Thursday, the federal and state governments agreed on further measures to contain the corona pandemic, including further restrictions for unvaccinated people or the general reduction in major events. 84 percent of German citizens believe that the corona rules should have been tightened earlier. Only 12 percent do not share this opinion.
The data on party preferences were collected by the market and opinion research institute forsa on behalf of RTL Germany from November 30th to December 6th, 2021. Database: 2,503 respondents. Statistical margin of error: +/- 2.5 percentage points. The data on Olaf Scholz and the corona measures were collected from December 3 to 6, 2021. Database: 1,001 respondents. Statistical error tolerance: +/- 3 percentage points.