Far-right AfD’s voter potential hits new high as Chancellor Merz’s conservatives slip
Germany’s far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) has reached a new record in voter potential, according to a new survey by polling institute INSA.
The poll found that 35% of Germans could imagine voting for the anti-immigration party, six percentage points higher than its current support level. The figure also exceeds the voter potential of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative CDU/CSU alliance.
The results come as Merz faces growing criticism over Germany’s economic challenges, disagreements within the governing coalition, and debates over reforms involving pensions, taxes, healthcare, military service, and social spending.
If a federal election were held next Sunday, the AfD would emerge as the strongest party with 29% support, according to the survey. The CDU/CSU followed with 21%, marking a decline of more than seven percentage points since the February 2025 election.
The Greens were placed third with 14.5%, ahead of the Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands (SPD) (Social Democratic Party of Germany) at 12% and Die Linke (The Left Party) at 10.5%. Despite the AfD’s gains, 49% of respondents said they would never vote for the party, while 31% ruled out supporting the CDU/CSU under any circumstances.