German politics is witnessing a shift of seismic proportions! Alice Weidel’s right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) has surged to the forefront, matching the support of incoming Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU). This comes on the heels of disillusionment with Merz’s coalition choices.
Merz, once a beacon for conservative voters, shocked many by aligning with the SPD and Greens—parties seen as architects of former Chancellor Scholz’s downfall. Now, 73% of German voters express feeling betrayed by Merz’s fiscal policies, as the AfD continues its meteoric rise, narrowing the gap to within a mere 4 points of the ‘conservative’ CDU.
Amidst ongoing coalition negotiations, CDU’s poll numbers are plummeting while enthusiasm for right-wing alternatives builds. For the first time, the INSA Sunday trend, commissioned by BILD, places AfD and CDU/CSU neck-and-neck in the polls.
With both parties now commanding 24% of the vote, Alice Weidel’s team is jubilant. BILD captured the spirit of the moment, reporting:
“The jubilation and euphoria in the ranks of the AfD are correspondingly great! Early in the morning shortly after 8 a.m., co-party leader spoke out on social media and wrote on X (formerly: Twitter): ‘We have caught up with the CDU/CSU. Thanks to everyone!’.” — Alice Weidel
As BILD notes, ‘the nightmare of many Union politicians has come true.’ They haven’t even cemented their coalition, yet are already losing ground in the polls while the AfD’s popularity grows.
In a letter following the survey, Weidel asserts, “The citizens do not want another left-wing government in which CDU/CSU the policy of SPD and Green dictate.” Triumphantly, she declares, “There is no way around the AfD!”
Markus Frohnmaier, vice-chairman of the parliamentary group and a Weidel ally, echoed these sentiments to BILD: “Friedrich Merz has brazenly fooled the citizens with the debt brake and in migration policy—now this deception is blowing up in his face.”
Frohnmaier sees this as more than a momentary surge but as the dawn of a new era, stating, “This is not a snapshot; this is the beginning of a turnaround. In the next few weeks, we will leave the Union behind us.”
