German Chancellor Angela Merkel's government continued to suffer in opinion polls published Thursday, in which her personal popularity dropped seven points from the previous month, to 55 per cent, according to dpa. Of those surveyed, just 43 per cent backed the centre-right coalition of Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) and pro-business Free Democrats (FDP). The combined opposition parties of Social Democrats (SPD), Left and Green Parties won joint approval ratings of 52 per cent, according to pollsters Infratest dimap. Merkel's second term in office has been beset by internal wranglings between the coalition partners over issues including taxation, healthcare policy and welfare benefits for the long-term unemployed. The coalition parties are also at odds over ways to lift Germany out of the economic crisis, and face a possible defeat at regional elections in Germany's most populous state next month. Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, last year's rising star in Merkel's camp, saw his popularity plummet 14 per cent - indicating that an inquiry into a deadly Afghan airstrike last year may have tarnished his reputation more than previously thought. Employment Minister Ursula von der Leyen of the CDU was the surprise winner, topping the list of key politicians with 56 per cent approval. The mother-of-seven recently brokered an improved system to support the unemployed. Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, who heads the FDP, was the least popular of all top politicians, with approval ratings of just 23 per cent. After the FDP's 11-year spell in opposition, Westerwelle's confrontational style of politics has led commentators to suggest that he has not yet learned the art of coalition government.
