While 34 percent in Bavaria saw Soeder and the CSU as problematic, 28 percent said refugees posed a problem for the region, a poll by Forsa for the n-tv broadcaster showed on Monday. The situation with the housing market worries 26 percent in Bavaria, according to the poll.
The survey showed that the CSU could hope for 37 percent of the vote in the upcoming regional elections, slated for October. In 2013, the CSU secured 47.7 percent of the vote in Bavaria.
Soeder told the broadcaster his party's results ahead of the regional election were "generally the best that a people's party has in Europe."
Regarding the disagreements with the CDU, Soeder said that dispute was not "helpful in the long run," but insisted that "passionate" discussions were sometimes needed to bring about change.