Ahead of Crucial Coalition Talks, Merkel's and Schulz's Ratings Hit Rock Bottom

• German Chancellor Merkel to Reveal Her Plans on Forming Government in 2018
• Merkel Gives Up on 'Jamaica', Sets Sights on Grand Coalition With SPD

Some 67 percent of Germans think that German Chancellor Angela Merkel's glory days are over, a survey by the German Die Welt newspaper and ARD public broadcaster revealed.

The figure shows an increase by ten points compared to May 2017.

At the same time, another ARD poll revealed that the popularity of the leader of the Social Democrats, Martin Schulz, has decreased by 9 points since last month to 30 percent, which is his worst result ever.

Evaluating Merkel's CDU/CSU party's work, three-quarters of respondents said that it was time for "personnel" changes within the party.

That doesn't mean, however, that German residents are totally disappointed in their leader. About 65 percent of respondents said they still considered Merkel "a good chancellor."

In addition, 53 percent of Germans found the renewal of her chancellorship a good idea. On the other hand, 45 percent rated this scenario as a less preferable one. At the same time, 49 percent want Merkel to stay in office for a full term, while 45 percent advocate her early resignation.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has lately been criticized for several aspects of her policies, including her open-door position toward refugees as well as her inaction in the fight against terrorism.

For instance, family members of the victims in a terror attack at a Berlin Christmas market last year said they have been "left high and dry" by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and argued that her government's efforts to tackle the terrorist threat were inefficient.

The German leader also came under fire due for her inability to form a new governmentover the course of the last few months.

Her fourth term was cast into doubt when four weeks of talks to form a new German government collapsed in November 2017 after the Free Democratic Party (FDP) withdrew from the negotiations on forming the so called "Jamaica coalition" with the CDU/CSU and the Greens.

Merkel's party is now trying to renew a grand coalition with the Social Democrats, but so far the talks haven't brought about much success. A new round of talks is set to take place on Sunday.