BERLIN, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Public support rate for the German opposition Social Democratic Party (SPD) dropped from last week's 25 percent to 23 percent, a poll indicated on Wednesday, making it more difficult for its candidate Peer Steinbrueck to overcome the odds to win the chancellorship from Angela Merkel in September's general election.
Figures from polling firm Forsa, published by Stern magazine and broadcaster RTL, said the current SPD support was at the lowest level since July 2011.
Only 18 percent of Germans would vote for Steinbrueck if they could decide their chancellor directly, while 59 percent of the population would choose Merkel.
The polling firm also found that Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) scored another record support rate of 43 percent, the party's highest ever rating under her leadership since 2005.
Meanwhile, Mekel's junior coalition partner the Free Democrats (FDP) still lags behind with a three-percent approval rate, indicating that it may fail to reach the 5-percent mark in the elections in order to remain in the parliament.
The possible failure of FDP will force Merkel to consider forming a coalition with SPD or the Greens.
Photos: Cities and villages surrounded by pollution
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