Shock in the polls: The Alternative for Germany party leads for the first time, surpassing the Christian Union CDU/CSU
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has achieved a new record support in a national poll, becoming the strongest party in the country. The poll, conducted by the Insa Institute for the Bild newspaper, showed the party rising by one percentage point to 26%, surpassing the ruling Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) bloc, which remained at 25%.
The Social Democratic Party (SPD), which has centrist leftist tendencies and is the smaller partner in the current coalition government, has risen slightly to 15%. Meanwhile, both the Greens and the far-left party have each received 11%. Smaller parties, such as the Sarah Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), recorded 4%, while the Free Democratic Party (FDP) fell to 3%, placing them below the 5% threshold needed to enter parliament.
This represents a significant increase for the Alternative Party, which only received 20.8% in the federal elections held last February. Although it became the second largest party in parliament at that time, all other parties refused to enter into any coalition with it.
The party remains controversial, as the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz – BfV) officially classifies it as a "confirmed right-wing extremist project." However, its increasing popularity shows a rising discontent among voters with traditional parties.
This survey reflects a significant change in the German political landscape, as traditional political blocs lose ground to populist forces. With support for the Alternative Party reaching unprecedented levels, the survey results raise major questions about the future of government formation and the direction of German politics.