Four months ahead of the state elections in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is gaining significant ground. According to the latest election poll, it would now win 41 percent of the vote, an increase of two percentage points compared to September last year. In contrast, the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) of current Prime Minister Sven Schulz has weakened to 26 percent, follows from Infratest dimap survey.
The survey was published by the public media MDR together with the Mitteldeutsche Zeitung and Volksstimme. The results show a significant change in sentiment among voters in the region, which has long been considered one of the CDU's key strongholds in eastern Germany.
In third place would be Die Linke with 12 percent. The Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) would retain seven percent. The Greens and Sahra Wagenknecht's new grouping, the Alliance of Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW), would only get four percent, which would not be enough to enter the state parliament. The FDP would also remain outside the chamber, according to the poll.
Although the AfD dominates the party preferences, in a hypothetical direct election of the Prime Minister, Sven Schulz would be narrowly ahead. Thirty-six percent of respondents would vote for the CDU chief, while 32 percent would back AfD candidate Ulrich Siegmund. Interestingly, however, the same proportion of voters remain undecided.
The survey also shows the deep dissatisfaction of the population with the current government of the country. Only 33 percent of respondents have a positive view of the current coalition of the CDU, SPD and FDP, while 62 percent are dissatisfied with its work. This makes Saxony-Anhalt one of the most critical federal states of its own government. Only Berlin has a worse rating, according to the survey.
There is also a strong distrust of the state and institutions. Only 16 percent of respondents believe that the state can effectively perform its tasks. Among AfD voters, confidence is even significantly lower, with only three percent declaring high confidence.
Migration and the refugee issue continue to be the biggest concerns of the population. It was identified as the country's most important problem by 14 % of respondents, although this is a decrease compared to the previous survey. Education came in second place with 12 percent, and the economic situation is becoming increasingly important, with 10 percent of respondents identifying it as their main problem.
The mood in the federal state is predominantly pessimistic. Only 13 percent of the population is optimistic about developments in the region, while almost four-fifths of respondents admit to being worried about the future. Many CDU voters are also sceptical, with only a quarter of respondents expressing optimism.
However, the results of the poll do not represent the final election result. There are still four months to go before the vote and the political situation could change significantly. However, it is already clear that the AfD is entering the electoral battle in its strongest position in years and the traditional parties are facing increasing pressure from disaffected voters.
gnews.cz - GH
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