Far-Right AfD Becomes Germany’s Most Popular Party 

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has edged ahead of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative alliance in national polling, becoming the country’s most popular political force for the first time, according to new figures released Tuesday.

The latest RTL/ntv ‘Trendbarometer’ poll puts AfD at a record 26%, just ahead of the ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU), which slipped to 24%, their lowest support since 2021. The governing Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the Greens each stand at 13%, while the Left party sits at 11%. All other parties remain in single digits, and a quarter of voters say they are undecided or would abstain, an unusually high share.

The slump in conservative support comes as Merz approaches his coalition’s 100th day in office. Approval for the chancellor has plunged to 29%, while dissatisfaction has risen to 67%, with sharpest criticism in eastern Germany and among AfD, Left, and Green supporters.

Merz’s hardline stance on Russia—most recently pledging €5 billion ($5.6 billion) in fresh military aid to Ukraine—has drawn praise from Kyiv but sparked backlash at home. Last month, Merz declared that diplomatic options in the war were “exhausted,” prompting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to accuse Berlin of choosing escalation over negotiation.

Economic worries are deepening the public mood: 62% of respondents expect conditions to worsen this year, the bleakest outlook recorded yet, while only 14% predict improvement. Half of all voters say they trust no party to address the nation’s problems.

Founded in 2013 amid Europe’s debt crisis, AfD has steadily gained traction during Germany’s prolonged migration disputes. The party finished second in February’s federal election with 152 seats in the Bundestag and has since tempered its rhetoric in an effort to win over centrist voters ahead of key regional contests next year.