Popularity can be turned a lot lower and still not set the world opinion on fire
Merkel's weak nerves and rash emotional decision in 2015 to not contest the right of the entire populations of failed countries (if they fail catastrophically enough*) to move to Germany and claim welfare while not giving back anything in return is still being felt.
Anyone with a brain and a functioning understanding of history and political and social structures of much of the third world realized that 2015 was not any kind of definitive stance but the humble beginning of something much larger.
*people in sh]thole countries now have less incentive than ever to fix their own countries whose residents don't care about them at all). and simply move to a place that will feed them and never be able to get rid of them
Merkel - worst post WWII European leader, a rolling catastrophe who is _still_ not out of office.... (that's not even mentioning her catastrophic and rash emotional decision to not pursue more nuclear power and to make the country dependent on Russia and has given the country one of the highest carbon footprints in Europe...)