The right-wing party would win if an election were held this Sunday, according to a new survey
People take part in an AfD campaign event in Brandenburg, Germany, March 19, 2026. © Getty Images / Frank Hammerschmidt/picture alliance
The
right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has hit a new popularity
record and would win a hypothetical election with 28% of the vote,
according to a Bild/INSA poll published on Saturday.
Chancellor
Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic bloc (CDU/CSU) would receive 24%,
falling behind the right-wing party by one percentage point compared
with earlier polls, according to the survey. The ruling coalition
partner Social Democrats (SPD) maintained a 14% approval rating.
About
11% of the vote would go to parties that would fail to reach the
threshold to enter parliament, Bild wrote, adding that this means a
governing majority would require at least a 45% share of the remaining
vote.
Provided that other parties do not align with the AfD, Merz’s ruling
coalition (CDU, CSU, SPD) would need to ally with another party to reach
a working majority in the Bundestag, the news outlet said.
The
survey, which was conducted over April 20-24, involved 1,203 respondents
who were asked how they would vote if a federal election were held on
Sunday.
Approval ratings for Merz’s coalition have steadily
declined since it came to power last May. Critics have accused the
chancellor of failing to reverse the decline of the German economy,
which saw only 0.3% growth in 2025 and endured a recession in 2023 and
2024.
At least 79% of Germans are dissatisfiedwith
the performance of the ruling government, a YouGov poll published last
week indicated. Only 34% of CDU/CSU voters were satisfied with their
coalition’s performance as of mid-April, according to the survey.
Last week, Merz was rated
Europe’s most unpopular leader, with a 76% disapproval rating,
according to the US-based opinion research institute Morning Consult.