Berlin - Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel, who faces a general election this September, topped the latest survey of personal popularity, the magazine Stern said Thursday.

On a scale of 100, Merkel, who is leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), achieved a score of 63 when a sample of Germans were asked December 16-18 who they would most trust to lead the country.

The second place, with a score of 60, went to Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German foreign minister, who will be the Social Democratic Party (SPD) candidate for chancellor when Germans vote this year.

The poll with 1,018 respondents and a margin of error of 3 per cent was conducted by the Forsa company.

German Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck, who belongs to the SPD, ranked third with a score of 57. (dpa)