Germany’s Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) is riding a wave of growing support—especially in the country’s eastern heartland—where the party has not just closed the gap but sprinted far ahead of its political rivals.
Fresh numbers from INSA, a leading polling institute, reveal a dramatic shift in voter sentiment: 38% of eastern Germans now say they’d back the AfD if elections were held today. That’s more than double the support for the second-place CDU/CSU bloc, which trails at 18%. The leftist Die Linke clocks in at 12%, with the ruling Social Democrats (SPD) at 10%, and the Greens barely scraping 8%.
Last year’s regional election results hinted at this momentum, with AfD scoring 33% in Thuringia, 29% in Brandenburg, and 31% in Saxony. But now, with nearly four in ten voters in the East backing the right-wing populist party, it’s clear the AfD isn’t just gaining ground—it’s reshaping the political landscape.
Despite this surge, Germany’s traditional parties continue to keep the AfD at arm’s length, upholding an unofficial “cordon sanitaire” to isolate the group from coalition talks or political partnerships. Critics say that stance is increasingly at odds with democratic norms, especially as the AfD becomes a dominant force in key regions.
For now, one thing’s certain: in eastern Germany, the political tide is turning—and the AfD is riding high on the crest.
