TV-Quadrell, Merz is the winner for viewers, Habeck the more sympathetic
The four candidates for chancellor went head-to-head in a fiery TV debate, one week ahead of the federal election. A quick poll shows that Friedrich Merz managed to win over many viewers - the debate will not make much of a difference when it comes to the outcome of the election, however.Shocking Debate Results
Infront of Tuesday’s Federal election, the four chancellor candidates hit hard against each other in a TV debate on RTL, with focus topics including migration, economic and financial policy, Ukraine war and pension policy (full text).Biggest Debate Surprises
Viewer Survey: Friedrich Merz Wins T-RTL/ntv Debate
RTL/ntv post debate poll - in a six graph, Merz had been seen as the strongest by many. The Forsa flash poll, commissioned by RTL and ntv, asked 2,004 people who watched all four candidates to give their views:
Friedrich Merz (CDU)
Olaf Scholz (SPD, incumbent chancellor)
Robert Habeck (Grüne, Vizekanzler und Minister für Wirtschaft)
Alice Weidel (AfD, head of the party)
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Who Did Well in the Debate?
When viewers were asked who “did best overall,”, the results were:
32% picked Friedrich Merz because of him being the best performer.
25% thought Olaf Scholz performed best.
18% supported Robert Habeck.
18% favored Alice Weidel.
7% said no candidates stood out.
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A prominent question in the poll was “Who do you trust most to lead Germany?” The responses displayed unambiguous support for Merz:
42% cited Friedrich Merz as the one they trusted most.
19 percent were confident in Olaf Scholz.
16% supported Alice Weidel.
(13% have faith in Robert Habeck.)
Who Appeared Most Competent?
Another significant theme in the debate was competence. In response to the question, “Who did you find most competent?”, viewers responded:
38% considered Friedrich Merz the most competent candidate.
25% chose Olaf Scholz.
16% considered Robert Habeck a competent person.
16% rated Alice Weidel as competent, too.
Key Takeaways
Only Friedrich Merz excelled across the board, topping polls in performance, trust and competence.Who Stands Out?
Olaf Scholz came in second but lagged far behind in the trust and competence stakes.
Robert Habeck and Alice Weidel received roughly the same level of support, with neither one getting a big edge over the other.
7% of viewers thought none of the candidates stood out.
These findings suggest that Friedrich Merz, at least among those asked, was the most memorable of the candidates and is perceived to be the strongest leader of the four.
TV Debate Has Minimal Effect on Voters’ Choices
Although the debate did not seem to impact how voters would act on election day, Robert Habeck shined through when it came to popularity and credibility among viewers.Credibility Ranking
Who Was Liked the Most?
We were asked, “Who did you like the best?, the respondents favored Habeck above the other candidates:
34% selected Robert Habeck, making him the most popular candidate.
23% preferred Friedrich Merz.
19% favored Olaf Scholz most.
17% favored Alice Weidel.
Who Seemed the Most Credible?
Credibility was also a top concern for viewers. When presented with the question, “Who seemed most credible to you?”, the results were:
29% said they found Friedrich Merz the most credible.
26% said Robert Habeck was the most trusted of them.
That figure was 20% for Alice Weidel.
19% found Olaf Scholz credible.
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Key Takeaways
In terms of who was the most liked candidate in the debate, Habeck led that category by a wide margin.
Friedrich Merz came out the most credible but Habeck followed closely.
Alice Weidel and Olaf Scholz had a near identical credibility rating, if anything, Weidel, slightly better.
However, the debate did little to alter people’s intended voting decisions.
While Habeck was deemed the most liked, Merz was considered the leader with more trustworthiness, indicating that the debate was more of an interest-based engagement along personal lines than a way in which voters’ minds were changed.
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