German far‑right AfD surges in polls amid energy‑crisis debate

AfD co‑leader Alice Weidel told Reuters that the loss of cheap Russian energy has pushed Germany’s industry back years and increased dependence on costly U.S. supplies. She linked the party’s rise – polling at over 27% nationwide, overtaking the governing CDU – to promises of restoring cheap Russian gas and calling for a referendum on EU membership. The party’s push to reopen the Nord Stream pipeline includes a meeting between AfD MP Markus Frohnmaier and Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller, who said gas could flow again within three months if political hurdles are removed. In response, mainstream parties have revived a constitutional investigation that could ban the AfD, arguing the party’s rhetoric threatens Germany’s democratic “political firewall.”