Most Germans are unhappy with the performance of Angela Merkel's ruling coalition but the chancellor is by far the most popular politician in the country, a survey showed Friday. Support for the grand alliance of Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats and the left-of-centre Social Democrats has eroded, despite a booming economy and falling unemployment, according to the poll by the ARD television channel, REPORTED DPA. Some 72 per cent of the 1,000 people questioned in the survey felt the 18-month-old coalition was more involved with its own problems than with those facing Germany. Two-thirds said they were dissatisfied with the work of the government, but a similar number - 62 per cent - felt the time was not yet ripe for a change of administration. The two parties in the coalition have clashed in recent weeks over such issues as counter-terrorism, family policy, abolition of inheritance tax and calls for a minimum wage. Some 71 per cent of those surveyed said the coalition did not pay enough attention to the interests of workers, but nevertheless 59 per cent were happy with the robust recovery made by Europe's biggest economy. Merkel, who has gained from the publicity surrounding Germany's joint presidencies of the European Union and Group of Eight wealthy nations, saw her approval rating remain steady at 70 per cent. But Social Democrat leader Kurt Beck saw his popularity slump from 44 per cent in April to 38 per cent this month. Only 23 per cent said they would vote for Beck in a direct election for chancellor - his lowest rating since being elected party chairman a year ago. Beck, who is not a member of the government, has been struggling to establish a profile in the face of dwindling support for the Social Democrats among the electorate. The Social Democrats have seen their support plummet to 27 per cent in opinion polls compared to 34 per cent for Merkel's party, which has seized the initiative on a range of issues usually considered Social Democrat territory.
