The Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) for the first time in 15 years ahead of the conservatives of Chancellor Angela Merkel.
This is shown in a Forsa poll for RTL / NTV, reports Reuters.
Germany votes in elections on September 26, Merkel will step down as head of government after 16 years in office and four wins in national elections. Merkel’s inevitable departure has exacerbated a split over the party’s leadership.
Support for Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) and their sister party, the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU), has been falling steadily in recent weeks.
According to the poll, the SPD rating increased by 2 percentage points from a week earlier to 23%, while the CDU/CSU rating dropped to 22% and the Greens have 18%.
According to the institute, this is the first time the SPD has surpassed the CDU/CSU since October 2006, and the lowest rating for Merkel’s party since the institute’s inception in 1984.
Some conservatives have blamed the drop in support on the bloc’s chancellor candidate, CDU Chairman Armin Lachet, whose ratings have fallen since he laughed during a visit last month to a flood-stricken city.
