According to a survey by the opinion research institute Insa for Bild am Sonntag, the Union remains the strongest force. When asked which coalitions would be good after the next federal election, 36 percent said an alliance between the Union and the SPD.

CDU leader Friedrich Merz wrote about the Union's future coalition options in an email to supporters last weekend. He explicitly named the SPD and the Greens as possible partners if an alliance with the FDP was not enough. Union voters clearly disagree with Merz in a survey – AfD remains strong.