Merz Government Fails to Impress Elite Panel

A new survey of Germany’s top business leaders has uncovered a dramatic drop in confidence within the ruling ‘Schwartz-Rot’ coalition government, with most now expecting no significant reforms and expressing growing frustration with its performance. This concerning trend highlights potential instability and questions about the future of the coalition’s direction.

The survey, conducted by Allensbach for F.A.Z. and Capital, specifically focused on the sentiment of Germany’s most influential business figures, many of whom have previously been strong supporters of the coalition. The decline in confidence is particularly pronounced regarding the government’s ability to address key economic challenges, including inflation and supply chain disruptions. Notably, the survey pointed to a lack of decisive action and a perceived bureaucratic slowdown as major drivers of the business leaders’ dissatisfaction. This shift in opinion is being attributed, in part, to the ongoing debate surrounding energy policy and the government’s handling of the transition away from fossil fuels, a contentious issue that has deeply divided the coalition partners – the Social Democrats (SPD) and the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) – led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Friedrich Merz respectively.

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