Far-right AfD hits record polling support as Merz's conservative bloc slumps in Germany
Germany’s far-right AfD has seen a record surge in polls (Photo: REUTERS/Liesa Johannssen)
Two concurrent German opinion polls have recorded a surge in support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) alongside a decline for the conservative CDU/CSU alliance led by Friedrich Merz, German outlet Focus reported on September 15.
According to a YouGov poll, the AfD remains the country's strongest political force at 29% support, climbing one percentage point, while the CDU/CSU alliance slipped two points to 18%.
The Green Party followed with 16%, while the Social Democrats (SPD) captured 13%, and The Left fell two percentage points to 10%. The Free Democratic Party (FDP) held steady at 5%, while the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) ticked up one point to 4%, with minor parties maintaining a combined 5% share.
The survey was conducted roughly one week after the state election in Saxony-Anhalt, where the AfD secured a decisive victory. According to YouGov, the far-right party maintains its position as the country's dominant political force, while the CDU/CSU alliance has plummeted to historic lows.
A separate survey by the GMS Polling Institute, published by the newspaper Die Welt, mirrors these findings.
In the GMS survey, the AfD secured 30% support, climbing two points to a record high for the party. Meanwhile, the CDU/CSU alliance fell three percentage points, dropping to a historic low of 20%.
The Green Party followed at 14%, while The Left Party and the Social Democrats (SPD) tied at 11% support each. The Free Democratic Party (FDP) fell to 4%, dropping below the standard 5% parliamentary threshold, while the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) sat at 3%, the Free Voters (FW) held at 1%, and minor parties captured a combined 6% share.
Communications expert Philipp Jessen described the figures as a turning point that will trigger fundamental changes in Germany’s political landscape, Bild reported.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz canceled his upcoming trip to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, opting to remain in Berlin as internal rebellion and political pressure mounted within his conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU).
A poll by the research group Forschungsgruppe Wahlen showed the far-right, pro-Russian Alternative for Germany (AfD) party leading ahead of the ruling Social Democratic Party (SPD) in the upcoming federal state election in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, scheduled for September 20.
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