The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has further extended its edge over Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservatives, according to the results of a new national poll released on Thursday.
The Infratest dimap poll found 21% of voters would back Merz’s centre-right bloc, made up of the Christian Democrats (CDU) and the Bavaria-only Christian Social Union (CSU). This was one percentage point less than at the start of July.
Meanwhile, the AfD – which is under investigation by domestic intelligence services for its extremist views – gained one percentage point to reach 28%.
The junior partner in the coalition government, the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), garnered 12% support, with the Greens on 15%, The Left on 11% and the pro-market Free Democrats on 4%, all unchanged from the previous month.
Germany is due to hold its next general election on or before March 25, 2029. However, three eastern states – Saxony-Anhalt, Berlin and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern – are set to hold regional votes next month, with the AfD expected to see record gains.
In Saxony-Anhalt, the party could even gain an unprecedented absolute majority, allowing it to enter a state government for the first time.