Germany

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, commenting on deteriorating opinion polls for his coalition government, said he would continue on the current policy course. Scholz, who has also lost much of his former personal popularity, acknowledges that there is “a bit of exhaustion” in the federal government. It follows a series of major crises such as the coronavirus pandemic, climate change, globalisation and Russia’s war in Ukraine.
     More than two-thirds of those polled in recent opinion polls said that they want a new government. In the ARD-Deutschlandtrend poll, conducted by the Infratest Dimap Institute, support for the government has fallen further. 79 per cent of respondents say they are not satisfied or have lost confidence in the coalition of the German Social Democrats in the SPD, the environmental party Greens and the pro-business and liberal FDP. Scholz warned in a radio interview over the weekend against politicians who want Germany to take out new large loans. /ritzau/DPA/