Just 19% of Germans approve of the chancellor’s leadership – with some of his comments causing offence amid spats with the White House Just 19% of Germans approve of the chancellor’s leadership – with some of his comments causing offence amid spats with the White House F riedrich Merz’s first steps as German chancellor proved to be a stumble and, one year on, he is still struggling to find his footing at the helm of Europe’s top economy and most populous country, with support at historic lows