AfD support drops as CDU/CSU widens lead in latest poll
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Support for Germany's right-wing AfD has declined to 22.5% amid growing public backlash and heightened scrutiny following its classification as a right-wing extremist group.
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Leader of the Christian Democrats Friedrich Merz, left, is congratulated by AfD leader Alice Weidel after being elected new chancellor at the German federal parliament, Bundestag, at the Reichstag building in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, May 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Support for Germany's right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has dropped to its lowest point since March, according to the latest poll published Wednesday by the INSA institute for Bild newspaper.
The AfD is now polling at 22.5%, down two percentage points from the previous week. At the same time, Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democratic Union and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU), rose to 27.5%, widening their lead over the AfD to five points.
"The parties are again approaching their results reached at the federal elections. The CDU/CSU is increasing its lead over the AfD to five [percentage] points," said INSA chief Hermann Binkert.
The latest data also shows the Social Democratic Party (SPD) holding steady at 16%, with the Greens polling at 11% and the Left Party at 10%. The online survey was conducted from June 6 to 10 and included 2,004 respondents, with a margin of error of approximately 2.5%.
Extremism backlash
The polling shift comes just weeks after Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, the BfV, officially designated the AfD as a "confirmed right-wing extremist" organization, enabling enhanced surveillance of the party’s activities. The classification has triggered widespread public debate and intensified scrutiny of the AfD’s platform and rhetoric.
According to a separate INSA poll, 48% of Germans support banning the AfD outright, and over 60% consider it an extremist force. This growing sentiment has also fueled nationwide anti-extremism demonstrations and increased pressure on Chancellor Merz’s government to consider legal options to counter the party’s influence.
Read more: AfD excluded from committee chairs, co-chair alleges discrimination
Shifting momentum
The AfD’s decline comes in the aftermath of the February 23 snap federal elections, where the party achieved a record 20.8% of the vote, becoming the second-largest political force in the country. The CDU/CSU bloc won the election with 28.6%, while the SPD, under then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz, suffered its worst performance in history at 16.4%.
Although the AfD remains influential, particularly in eastern Germany, its recent drop in support suggests the party may be facing headwinds as public resistance to extremism intensifies and political momentum begins to shift back toward the mainstream conservative bloc.
