German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's approval rating has fallen to the verge of single digits, 1 year and 5 months after taking office.

European Union member states are reportedly preparing contingency plans in case Chancellor Merz steps down.

According to a survey released on the 1st local time by German polling institute Infratest dimap, satisfaction with the federal government dropped to 10 percent, the lowest since he took office.

Respondents expressing dissatisfaction reached 89 percent.

Those satisfied with Chancellor Merz's performance also stood at 10 percent, while 88 percent expressed dissatisfaction.

The approval rating for the ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU) alliance fell 1 percentage point from a month ago to 20 percent.

The coalition partner Social Democratic Party (SPD) stood at 13 percent, while the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) maintained the top spot at 27 percent.

Chancellor Merz's approval rating has steadily declined since taking office in May of last year.

Political damage followed as the CDU, led by Merz, suffered successive defeats in state parliament elections last month in Saxony-Anhalt, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and Berlin.

The CDU failed to secure more than 5 percent of the vote in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, suffering the humiliation of being ousted from the state parliament for the first time since its founding in 1946.

Although Chancellor Merz has stated that he has no intention of stepping down midway, vowing to complete the reform work he has pursued since taking office, the controversy over his political future shows no sign of subsiding.

Political news outlet Politico reported on the 2nd local time that EU member states are discussing contingency plans to prepare for the possibility that Chancellor Merz could be ousted or at least face disruptions in his duties within the coming months.

Citing sources, the outlet reported that two European government ministries held internal meetings to discuss how Chancellor Merz's departure would impact EU policy-making.

Chancellor Merz has recently served as a de facto chief negotiator for the frugal bloc of countries—including Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, and Finland—regarding the 2028–2034 multiannual financial framework, a major EU issue.

Germany, Europe's largest economy, contributes more than 20 percent of the EU budget.

One diplomat predicted that Chancellor Merz might adopt an even harder stance on the budget, noting that "the risk is that he needs to project the kind of leadership in the EU that he thinks he needs for his standing at home."

Despite the ongoing controversy over his political future, the prevailing analysis is that the likelihood of Chancellor Merz voluntarily resigning or being replaced is low.

To replace the chancellor before his term ends in the spring of 2029, Chancellor Merz would either have to request a vote of confidence from the Bundestag to dissolve parliament and hold a snap general election.

A so-called "constructive vote of no confidence" is also possible, whereby a new chancellor candidate is put before parliament to dismiss Merz by a majority vote of all members while simultaneously electing a successor.

However, given that Chancellor Merz has repeatedly stated he has no intention of resigning voluntarily, and with both coalition partners—the CDU-CSU alliance and the SPD—seeing rock-bottom approval ratings, the possibility of pursuing a snap election is slim.

Even if an attempt were made to replace the chancellor through internal coalition discussions, the dilemma is the lack of a suitable successor.

CSU leader and Bavaria State Premier Markus Söder, alongside CDU member and North Rhine-Westphalia State Premier Hendrik Wüst, have been mentioned, but both are reported to have clearly expressed their refusal.

State Premier Wüst enjoys greater public popularity than Chancellor Merz, but shifts in public sentiment have been detected, such as the CDU's approval rating in North Rhine-Westphalia recently being overtaken by the AfD.

North Rhine-Westphalia, with a population of approximately 18 million—the largest among Germany's 16 states—will hold state parliament elections in April next year.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)