According to a survey released on Tuesday, support for Germany's conservative bloc decreased by 2 percentage points to 28% within a week. This drop followed lead candidate Friedrich Merz's collaboration with the far-right to push through plans for a migration crackdown in parliament.
Less than three weeks before the federal elections, a Forsa poll for RTL/ntv indicated that support for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats (SPD) remained stable at 16%. Meanwhile, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) maintained its support at 20%.
Merz, who is campaigning for chancellor on the conservative CDU/CSU alliance's ticket, succeeded in passing a proposal to restrict migration with the AfD's votes, which had been previously considered a taboo in German politics.
The campaign narrative shifted significantly after the arrest of an Afghan asylum seeker for a deadly incident on Jan. 22, along with other high-profile incidents involving individuals with an immigrant background.
In an attempt to introduce additional migration legislation in parliament, Merz faced opposition from some of his own party members last Friday, leading to a lack of support for his initiative.
The Forsa poll was conducted between Jan. 28 and Feb. 3, primarily following the initial parliamentary vote.