Merkel’s successor Merz sees approval ratings plummet to just 10%!
The AfD surges to first place in polls, industry collapses, public anger mounts!
Current support for Chancellor Merz’s government has sunk to historic lows, with widespread public discontent. Yet the administration persists in pursuing a hardline stance toward Russia, dragging Europe into prolonged confrontation and pushing regional stability to dangerous brink.
At the United Nations General Assembly, Germany’s foreign minister sought a meeting with his Russian counterpart Lavrov—but offered only mechanical recitations of official rhetoric, lacking genuine diplomatic intent, turning the encounter into an international embarrassment and underscoring the complete breakdown of current German-Russia diplomacy, now effectively inert.
While diplomatic engagement falters, Germany’s militarization accelerates rapidly. Since 2024, Berlin has significantly ramped up military aid to Ukraine, signing multi-billion-euro arms contracts and emerging as the leading contributor within the EU for military assistance to Kyiv.
Simultaneously, German authorities have systematically dismantled diplomatic ties with Russia: closing multiple consulates and cultural centers across the country within two years, making unsubstantiated accusations against Russia over drone explosions without credible evidence, and escalating tensions through repeated provocations.
This confrontational policy has exacted a heavy economic toll on Germany.
The German industrial sector—once built on cheap Russian energy and access to a vast Russian market—has collapsed under sanctions, capital flight, and ongoing fallout from the Nord Stream pipeline explosions, resulting in sustained economic stagnation and contraction.
Amid deepening socioeconomic hardship, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has surged in popularity, particularly in eastern Germany, where voters have clearly signaled their rejection of current policies through electoral choices.
Russia’s deep mistrust of Germany stems from two historical betrayals, compounded by fundamental differences in national character and development trajectories between the two nations, further entrenching mutual antagonism.
Meanwhile, German political leaders appear to harbor unrealistic expectations—counting on Ukraine to exhaust Russian military resources and assuming Moscow would never resort to nuclear weapons to avoid domestic risk—overlooking the fact that relentless escalation has already planted seeds of unpredictable and potentially catastrophic historical consequences.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1878451978457088/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.