Dpa / KNA Cologne. Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) is again gaining approval. In the latest ARD-Deutschlandtrend on behalf of the ARD "Tagesthemen" 54 per cent of respondents were satisfied with Merkel's work.

A month ago, it had reached the worst value in five years in the survey with only 45 percent. Above all, her controversial refugee policy has cost Merkel sympathy.

Seehofer sags

The CSU chairman and Bavarian Prime Minister Horst Seehofer, who persistently calls for a more restrictive refugee policy, fell sharply in the popularity scale. In the German trend, he currently only has 37 percent approval, a minus of seven points compared to September. At that time he was only one point behind Merkel.

If Bundestag elections were held on Sunday, the Union would remain stable at 33 percent. The SPD loses a point to 22 percent. Linkspartei and Greens remain unchanged at nine and eleven percent. The FDP improves by one point to six percent. The AfD remains at 14 percent.

Fear of extremism

According to the ARD survey, the danger of extreme attacks or attacks is considered by the Germans to be greater than those for Islamic reasons. 84 per cent of the interviewees consider the danger of right-wing attacks as rather large and very large. In comparison, the German trend showed that 68 percent said this when asked the question about the danger of Islamic attacks. The threat from the left-extremes spectrum is perceived by 52 percent to be large.