The popularity of the ruling coalition in Germany is falling due to support for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia, Chancellor Olaf Scholz told in an interview with the ARD television channel.
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“It is true that there are many citizens who do not agree that we support Ukraine, who also do not agree that we have imposed sanctions against Russia. But, in my opinion, the alternative is not to do not exist,” he said.
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This is how the politician responded to a question about the drop in support for the ruling coalition, especially in eastern Germany, where ahead of elections in several federal states, according to polls, the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is leading.
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According to Scholz, Germany is ready to use opportunities for peaceful development, “which would not mean the capitulation of Ukraine.”
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Germany is the second largest donor of aid to Ukraine after the United States. At the same time, in the last elections to the European Parliament, the center-right opposition bloc of the Christian Democratic and Christian Social Unions won a landslide victory with 30%, and second place went to the right-wing Alternative for Germany party with 15.9%.
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Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD) came in third place with 13.9% of the vote. In total, the three parties of the ruling coalition – the SPD, the Greens and the Free Liberals – received only 31% of the votes.
