By Thomas Escritt

BERLIN (Reuters) -Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservatives slipped into second place behind Germany's far right in a poll marking his hundredth day in office after a tough summer in which a botched judicial appointment and a reversal on supplying Israel with arms alienated foes and allies alike.

The Forsa poll, which put the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) on 26%, two points higher than the conservatives, comes ahead of a political season that will be dominated by tough decisions on revitalising a flagging economy and allocating painful spending cuts.

Merz's decision last week to suspend arms shipments to Israel after it announced plans to fully occupy Gaza was popular among voters but angered conservative allies who saw it as a betrayal of Germany's historical obligations.

Merz's two-way coalition with the Social Democrats has scored some big wins:........

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