Germany’s three strongest parties lost ground slightly in a new poll ahead of the nation’s snap election on 23 February, while the far-left Linke cracked the 5% threshold which opens the doors to potentially enter the Bundestag.
Friedrich Merz’s centre-right CDU/CSU alliance was still in first place with 29% backing in the latest Insa survey for Bild am Sonntag newspaper, down one percentage point from the previous week. The far-right Alternative for Germany as well as Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats also each lost one point, and now stand at 21% and 16%.
Linke gained one point from the week earlier, raising its hopes of re-entering Germany’s parliament. The Greens under Economics Minister Robert Habeck are stagnating at 12% in fourth place.
Merz has received harsh criticism for eroding a so-called firewall between the mainstream establishment and the far-right group when his bloc tried to push through legislation relying on the backing from the AfD.
The Conservatives are expected to need at least one coalition partner to secure a majority in parliament. As things stand, the Social Democrats and the Greens are his most likely options, though he may need another party to make up the numbers in a three-way alliance. All of Germany’s main parties have said they won’t partner in government with the AfD.