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AfD surge: polling leads and calls for party ban

Updated 9 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

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2026-08-11 03:31 UTC → 2026-08-11 07:35 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The AfD continues to see significant polling gains ahead of regional elections in Saxony-Anhalt (September 6), Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (September 20), and Berlin (September 20). In Saxony-Anhalt, recent Insa polling indicates the AfD is leading with approximately 42% support, nearly doubling the standing of the CDU, which has dropped to 22%. The Linke holds 13%. In ~~Mecklenburg-Vorpommern,~~ response to the ~~AfD is also polling strongly at 36%. In Saxony-Anhalt,~~ party’s rise, approximately 10,000 people participated in protests across 11 German cities on August 9, demanding a ban on the ~~BSW is projected~~ AfD. Organized by the “Prüf” initiative, the demonstrations called for the Federal Constitutional Court to ~~cross~~ investigate the ~~5% threshold, potentially acting as a kingmaker. BSW candidate Thomas Schulze has stated his party will not support CDU candidate Sven Schulze,~~ party, which ~~could facilitate~~ has been classified by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution as “suspicious” or “confirmed right-wing extremists.” This follows an open letter from over 1,000 legal professionals calling for similar proceedings. To prevent an AfD ~~victory~~ government in ~~a third election round if~~ Saxony-Anhalt, Bodo Ramelow, former Minister-President of Thuringia, has urged the ~~BSW abstains. Meanwhile,~~ CDU ~~candidate Sven Schulze has focused on pension reform, advocating for those with 45 years~~ and Die Linke to cooperate. Ramelow criticized the CDU’s hesitation to engage in cross-party dialogue, suggesting such cooperation is necessary to mitigate the “blackmail potential” of ~~contributions.~~ the AfD. Economic concerns persist as economists from the Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH) describe the AfD’s platform as “non-financeable,” projecting an annual gap of at least 2.2 billion euros and warning that migration stances could deter skilled labor. In response to the party’s rise, more than 1,000 legal professionals—including judges, prosecutors, and lawyers—have signed an open letter via the Republikanischer Anwältinnen- und Anwälteverein (RAV) calling for the government to initiate proceedings to ban the AfD. The petition argues the party’s policies violate principles of human dignity and democracy. While some political figures have suggested the Federal Constitutional Court examine these requirements, critics argue the involvement of sitting judicial officials in such a campaign is problematic.

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