Alternative for Germany Party Surges in Polls as Support for Populism Rises.
Sean Gallup/Getty ImagesThe Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has surged to its highest level of support as populist policies continue to gain traction in the country and support for the neo-liberal establishment wanes.
According to a survey this week from Institute for New Social Answers (INSA), the AfD has jumped by two points to 22 per cent nationally. The head of the polling organisation, Hermann Binkert said that “this is the highest value that we have ever measured for this party.”
The result, reported by Welt, means that the populist party has increased its lead over Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD), which currently sits at 18 per cent, as well as the government coalition partner Greens, who only have 14 per cent support.
Although the “union” of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU) is still considered the largest party in the country at 26 per cent, this only applies when both are taken collectively, otherwise, the AfD would be the single largest party.
It is also noteworthy that the struggles for Chancellor Scholz’s traffic light coalition government have not benefited the centre right Union as much as the AfD. This is likely in large part due to the CDU continuing to take blame for the country’s energy and migration woes given that both crises were ushered in under the leadership of former CDU Chancellor Angela Merkel.