AfD surges in eastern Germany as confidence in Merz government weakens

09:47

By: Azzat Manal

AfD surges in eastern Germany as confidence in Merz government weakens

The Alternative for Germany (AfD) has strengthened its position among voters in eastern Germany, opening a growing political gap with the country’s traditional parties as approval of Chancellor Friedrich Merz continues to decline.

A poll conducted by Forsa for RTL and N-TV found that the AfD would receive 45% of the vote if federal elections were held exclusively among voters in Germany’s eastern states. The Left Party ranked second with 15%, while the conservative CDU/CSU bloc stood at just 12%, leaving the AfD 33 percentage points ahead.

The survey also pointed to widespread dissatisfaction with Merz’s performance. Only 7% of respondents in eastern Germany said they were satisfied with the chancellor’s work, while 91% expressed dissatisfaction, highlighting the difficulties facing the coalition government.

The poll was conducted between September 1 and 7 among 2,502 people, with a reported margin of error of 2.5 percentage points.

The findings come shortly after the AfD secured a major victory in the Saxony-Anhalt state election, where it won 43.8% of the vote. The result marked the party’s strongest performance in a German state election and further demonstrated its growing influence in the eastern part of the country.

The AfD’s rise has coincided with declining support for established political forces. An INSA poll published in August put support for the CDU/CSU at 20% nationwide, its lowest level in several years, according to the source.

Migration remains one of the AfD’s central political issues, alongside calls for stronger protection of traditional values and a significant shift in Germany’s approach to Russia and sanctions. Meanwhile, Merz’s coalition faces mounting economic and political pressures as it seeks to maintain public support and govern amid an increasingly polarized political landscape.

The widening divide between the AfD and Germany’s traditional parties in the east could become an important factor in the country’s political debate, particularly if dissatisfaction with the federal government continues to grow.