Almost five years after her retirement from politics, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel is back in the political headlines.

According to a Forsa poll commissioned by RTL/ntv, 47% of respondents believe the former chancellor is suitable for the post of German president.

Incumbent President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is due to step down next year after the end of his second term, Bild reports.

Merkel's support is much broader than just the center-right camp. Among CDU/CSU supporters, 55% believe Merkel is a suitable candidate. This indicator is also 55% for SPD voters. Among Greens supporters, that figure even rises to 75%, and among left-wing voters to 70%. Even among the far-right Alternative for Germany party supporters, 23% still believe the former chancellor is suitable for the highest public office in the country.

However, Merkel herself does not appear to be planning to return to politics. When rumors of the former chancellor’s candidacy had first circulated in February 2026, she had flatly dismissed them as “absurd.”