A new INSA poll reveals the right-wing party is only 3.5% behind Germany’s leading conservative alliance, the CDU/CSU.
The Alternative for Germany (AfD), a right-wing party, has achieved its highest-ever level of public support in polls conducted by the Institute for New Social Answers (INSA), a leading German polling organization.
INSA’s latest poll, released on Tuesday, showed the AfD with 23.5% support, while the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), collectively polled at 27%. This represents a 1.5% decrease for the CDU/CSU since their victory in the February 23 general election.
“This is the highest level ever recorded for the AfD in the INSA opinion trend,” stated Hermann Binkert, head of INSA, to Bild daily.
Since the election, the AfD has gained almost three points in polls and now trails the CDU/CSU alliance by only 3.5%. Binkert pointed out that the CSU alone polled at 21%, with its sister party adding a further 7% to the alliance’s total.
The INSA poll surveyed approximately 2,004 individuals, representing a diverse range of social groups within Germany.
Pollster estimates suggest that public support for the AfD could potentially reach 30.5%. However, other parties have higher estimated potential ceilings. INSA analysts believe the CDU/CSU could theoretically reach up to 42%, while the center-left Social Democratic Party (SDP) could reach up to 39.5%.
The CDU/CSU emerged as the strongest party in last month’s parliamentary election with 28.5% of the vote, although they did not secure a majority. The party is currently engaged in coalition talks with the SPD, which experienced a significant defeat, receiving a record-low 16.4% of the vote during the election. A coalition between the two parties would give them 328 seats in the Bundestag, comfortably exceeding the 316 seats needed for a majority.
The AfD secured a strong second place in the election, with 20.8% of the vote – a two-fold increase from the 10.4% they received in 2021. Despite this result, the party remains isolated by other major political forces, who refuse to cooperate with them. The AfD is often described as ‘far-right’ by officials and the media.
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