Every third German wants Merkel to go before her term ends

Almost 80 percent of AfD supporters voted in favor of Merkel stepping down, and more than one in three Germans (38 percent) would like the Chancellor to be replaced by 2021.

According to a representative survey by the opinion polling agency YouGov on behalf of the German Press Agency (dpa), only 43 percent think that she should stay in office as planned until the federal elections in less than three years, while 18 percent had no opinion.

Merkel handed over the CDU chairmanship to Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauers at the beginning of December after 18 years in the top seat. However, she stated that she wanted to remain Chancellor for the entire legislative period.

Any other option is considered almost impossible because the SPD – which is part of the grand coalition – has no interest in the election of a successor. Merkel will only be replaced if a coalition change takes place or a new election after a lost vote of confidence in the Bundestag is called.

The followers of the CDU/CSU (66 percent) and the Greens (65 percent) – about two-thirds each – believe Merkel should continue until 2021. The percentage in the SPD (48 percent), FDP (47 percent) and Leftists(50 percent), is roughly about half of respondents.

By contrast, 78 percent of the AfD supporters want Merkel to be replaced as soon as possible, and only 10 percent want to see her stay until 2021.

Different scenarios have been traded in political Berlin, but above all, speculation about the future is rife.

Extremely important is the European elections which will run parallel to ten federal municipal elections on 26 May. If the SPD takes another political blow, it may leave the coalition and seek salvation as an opposition party.

European elections and local elections are thus going to be crucial for the future of the grand coalition.

Merkel has said she plans to remain in her position for the rest of this parliamentary term, but tensions within her governing coalition are growing because of her globalist approach.

She repeated that Germany will push for “global solutions” at the UN and increase spending more on humanitarian aid in her annual New Year’s address her office released ahead of a scheduled Monday broadcast.

“We will only master the challenges of our times if we stick together and collaborate with others across borders,” Merkel said in a text of the message.

In 2018, Merkel averted the near collapse of her coalition government because of migration, after Germany’s acceptance of almost two million migrants in 2015. As a result of her party’s poor results in regional elections this year, Merkel announced she would be stepping down as party chairperson.

Germany starts a two-year stint on the UN Security Council on January 1.