END FOR MERKEL? German chancellor’s party dips even further in the polls
THE popularity of Angela Merkel’s party continues to fall, according to a new poll.
Protesters hold banners saying 'Merkel MUST GO'
Support for the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its sister party the Christian Social Union has fallen for the second week in a row.
The poll by Emnid for Bild says backing has slipped from 37 per cent to 36 per cent.
Support for anti-migrant party Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) remains unchanged from the previous week.
Support for the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its sister party the Christian Social Union has fallen for the second week in a row
Voting intentions for the AfD remain steady at 12 per cent and 21 per cent for the SPD.
The Left has gained a point, taking its support to 11 per cent with the Greens down a point at nine per cent.
Support for the Liberal Free Democratic (FDP) stands at six per cent after Emnid interviewed 2,805 voter between 12 and 18 January.
Germany sets election date in late September
It comes as the election campaign begins to swing into action.
Germany is to hold its federal election on Sunday 24 September, with Chancellor Angela Merkel seeking a fourth term in office.
The AfD is expected to enter the national parliament for the first time.
Mrs Merkel faces a tough re-election campaign following a major backlash over her open-door migration policy.
Germany has welcomed more than one million migrants in the last two years.
Concerns about integration and security have pushed the German Chancellor’s popularity down and fuelled the rise of the AfD party, which is expected to win enough votes to clear the five per cent threshold to enter the federal parliament.
A poll by Forsa for German magazine Stern published on Wednesday put Mrs Merkel's conservative bloc on 38 percent, up one point.
The SPD, junior partner in the ruling coalition, also edged up by one point to 21 per cent while the AfD shed one point, falling to 11 per cent.
A poll published earlier this month showed refugee policy will be the biggest issue for voters in the election.