Germany AfD Leads Polls Over Chancellor Merz's CDU/CSU at 28%
The latest ARD‑DeutschlandTrend poll shows the far‑right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) at a record‑high 28 % voter intention, overtaking the governing Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) bloc, which fell to 21 %.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s personal approval remains low, with only about 13 % of respondents satisfied with his performance. Within the CDU, senior figures are openly discussing a possible “Kanzlertausch” and have named North Rhine‑Westphalia Minister Henrich Bist as a leading replacement candidate. The surge has sparked debate over cooperation with the AfD: 37 % of Germans say any collaboration should be excluded, while 59 % would not rule it out entirely.
Entities: Alternative for Germany (AfD) · Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) · Bundestag · CDU/CSU · Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) · Friedrich Merz · German electorate · Henrich Bist
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 4 SOURCES] CDU/CSU polls at 21 % in the same survey. (new)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] 59 % of respondents would not rule out cooperation with AfD in any circumstance. (new)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s approval rating is about 13 % satisfaction. (new)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] AfD’s 28 % poll result is a historic high for the party. (new)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Within the CDU, senior members are discussing a possible replacement of Merz. (new)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] 37 % of Germans say any cooperation with AfD should be excluded entirely. (new)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Henrich Bist, minister of North Rhine‑Westphalia, is mentioned as a leading replacement candidate. (new)
- [● 4 SOURCES] AfD polls at 28 % in the latest ARD‑DeutschlandTrend survey. (new)