“Things aren’t looking good for Germany’s conservative alliance just five weeks before election day, as it plunged to record lows in a new poll. In a poll released early Sunday, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU) conservative alliance dropped three percentage points, putting it neck and neck with the Social Democrats (SPD) – both at 22 percent. The INSA poll, conducted for the German publication Bild, is the lowest the alliance has ever fallen in the polling company’s analysis. It comes as Chancellor Angela Merkel joined fellow conservative Armin Laschet at a Berlin campaign event Saturday in an attempt to halt the alliance’s polling slide.”
“Laschet is hoping to replace Merkel as chancellor following the September 26 election, but his SPD opponent, Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, has been gaining ground in recent weeks. Merkel’s appearance Saturday was announced more than a week ago, following a survey putting the CDU/CSU alliance at 23 percent, down from 30 percent in less than a month. During her speech, Merkel called Laschet the ‘future federal chancellor'” – Politico EU.