Support for German chancellor Angela Merkel's centre-right coalition has dropped four percentage points after stinging losses in a closely watched regional election last weekend, a poll showed today.
The Infratest dimap survey for ARD television put Ms Merkel's Christian Democrat Union (CDU) on 32 per cent, down 3 percentage points from the end of April, and their pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) partners down 1 percentage point on 7 per cent.
Those are the lowest levels since March 2009 and October 2007 respectively.
Voters in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's most populous state, punished Ms Merkel's coalition in Sunday's vote, robbing her of a majority in parliament's upper house which will slow down her reform plans.
She had angered many voters by agreeing to billions of euros in aid for debt-ridden Greece and has been sharply criticised by political foes, and even some party allies, for her hesitant handling of the wider euro zone debt crisis.
In the Infratest poll, support for the opposition Social Democrats (SPD) rose 2 percentage points to 28 per cent. The Greens were the biggest winner, gaining 1 percentage point to hit their highest ever level of 17 per cent.
The next federal election takes place in 2013.
It is unclear what coalition will end up taking power in North Rhine-Westphalia after a very tight election in which the conservatives lost more than 10 percentage points but ended up a whisker ahead of the SPD.
The SPD are exploring the possibility of an alliance with the Greens, their desired partner, but they would need a third party for a clear majority.
They are looking at a three-way coalition with the FDP or far-left Left party but face a good deal of resistance to either option from members of all parties concerned. A "grand coalition" between the CDU and SPD is also a possibility.
In any event, Ms Merkel's centre-right coalition has lost its majority in the Bundesrat upper which means it will need support from opposition parties to push through laws such as health reform and the extension of some nuclear plants' lifespans.
This could cause delays.
Ms Merkel has already ditched tax cut plans, one of her coalition's flagship policies, due to a tight budgetary situation.
Reuters