Greens overtake Merkel鈥檚 conservatives to lead German national polls
ARD
The Green Party has overtaken German Chancellor Angela Merkel鈥檚 conservative CDU/CSU alliance to be the strongest party for the first time . 26 percent of respondents said they would vote for the Greens, while 25 percent named CDU/CSU and only 12 percent said they would vote for the Social Democratic Party (SPD) 鈥 a record low for Merkel鈥檚 smaller coalition partner. The far right populist AfD polledat 13 percent. When asked which party has the best answers for future challenges, most respondents said 鈥渘o party/don鈥檛 know鈥 (45 percent), a quarter named the Greens and only 12 percent the governing CDU/CSU alliance.
Germany鈥檚 ruling parties took another blow in the recent European elections, further rattling the fragile government coalition, as voters increasingly turn away from the established forces in the political centre. Against the backdrop of the highest turnout in EU elections in Germany since reunification, support for the Greens surged amid concerns over the global climate crisis, putting the party in second place. The Greens鈥 wins have since pushed Germany鈥檚 governing parties to put greater focus on combatting climate change. But the election campaign also revealed signs of a potential backlash, as some right-wing populist parties, including Germany鈥檚 Alternative for Germany (AfD), seized on opposition to climate action as a key part of their platform. While analysts say it is unclear whether the strategy paid off, they see the issue of climate change ripe for political polarisation, especially as countries adopt more ambitious policies that increasingly affect citizens鈥 daily lives. One big test could be upcoming state elections in the former East Germany.