Strategy for Europe's environment emphasized in the recent report.
In the ever-changing political landscape of Germany, recent polls have revealed significant shifts in party standings, with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) gaining momentum and traditional centrist parties facing challenges.
As of mid-August 2025, the AfD leads the pack, securing around 25–26% of voter support. This represents a notable increase of roughly 4 percentage points or more since the last federal election, making the AfD the party with the largest growth in voter favorability.
The center-right Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) alliance follows closely, polling between 24–26%. However, they are losing ground, with a decline of 2.5% compared to the last election. The Social Democratic Party (SPD) holds about 13–15%, continuing a downward trend.
The Greens are polling at approximately 11%, while Die Linke, smaller parties like BSW, and the FDP all have near 4% each. These figures reflect a growing popularity of the AfD at the expense of traditional centrist parties, raising questions about the governing coalition's stability under Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Chancellor Merz, leader of the CDU/CSU, faces low approval ratings of around 29%, down from 43% earlier in the year, reflecting public dissatisfaction.
The current governing coalition, comprising the CDU/CSU and SPD, controls about 47.7% of virtual parliamentary seats. This places their majority at risk if an election were to occur now. Polls suggest only a slim majority of Germans believe the coalition will survive until 2029, with growing undecided voters and non-voters adding uncertainty to the political outlook.
Here's a summary table of approximate standings from August 2025 polls:
| Party | Approximate Poll % | Trend Since Last Election | |---------------|--------------------|-----------------------------------| | AfD | 25–26% | Significant increase (+4 to +9%) | | CDU/CSU | 24–26% | Decline (-2.5%) | | SPD | 13–15% | Decline / stagnation | | Greens | 11% | Slightly lower in some polls | | Die Linke | 9% | Stable or slight decline | | BSW | 4% | Slightly higher in some polls | | FDP | 4% | Stable / low |
In a recent development, the Union, Greens, Left Party, SPD, BSW, and FDP have each experienced shifts in their share of exclusive voters. For instance, the Union can reduce its share of exclusive Union voters by one percentage point, while the Greens, the Left, and the BSW lose two each, and the SPD loses three.
The AfD, on the other hand, has gained one percentage point among all voters, specifically among exclusive AfD voters. The FDP maintains its percentage among all voters, including exclusive FDP voters, but has seen a slight decrease, now at 3%. The Left Party also sees a slight decrease, now at 9.5%. The Greens' percentage remains unchanged at 10.5%.
These changes underscore the dynamic nature of the German political scene, with the far-right AfD continuing to make gains and traditional parties grappling with declining support. The future of Germany's political landscape remains uncertain, with the potential for significant shifts in the coming months.
The significant increase in voter support for the AfD, reaching around 25–26%, shows a notable shift in German politics, as traditional centrist parties like the CDU/CSU, SPD, and Greens face challenges and a decline in support. Additionally, general news outlets report that the AfD continues to gain exclusivity among voters, solidifying its position in the German political landscape.
