 In the immediate aftermath of her election, surveys showed an increase in the CDU's vote share; however, it was short-lived.In the first months of her tenure, there were a series of gaffes and according to the press a failure to connect with voters.In the run-up to the 2019 European Parliament election, which was seen as her first major electoral test, the CDU's campaign was embroiled by a row between the party and YouTube personality Rezo.