Merkel Bloc Boosts Support After AKK Defense Move, Poll Shows
Merkel Bloc Boosts Support After AKK Defense Move, Poll Shows
(Bloomberg) -- Chancellor Angela Merkel’s CDU/CSU bloc increased their support in the latest poll for Bild newspaper, suggesting criticism that followed the appointment of CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer as defense minister has not damaged the parties’ standing among German voters.
The CDU/CSU scored 28.5% in the Insa poll, up 2.5 percentage points from the previous week and compared with their combined score of 33% in the last national election in 2017. The Greens, who have topped the CDU/CSU in some recent polls, slipped half a point to 22.5%.
Kramp-Karrenbauer, Merkel’s would-be successor who is known as AKK in Germany, had previously said she would steer clear of the cabinet but took the defense job last week after the previous incumbent, Ursula von der Leyen, was appointed to head the European Commission.
The decision was widely criticized, including by members of Merkel’s junior coalition partner, the Social Democrats, who accused AKK of going back on her word, while others said she lacks the necessary experience to run the military.
The CDU/CSU is made up of Merkel’s Christian Democrats and their Bavarian sister party. The Insa poll of 2,081 citizens was conducted July 19-22 and has a margin of error of +/- 2.5 points, Bild said.
To contact the reporter on this story: Iain Rogers in Berlin at irogers11@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Chad Thomas at cthomas16@bloomberg.net, Robert Jameson
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