A new study that examines voters’ first and second choices for Sunday’s national German election has revealed that the anti-mass migration Alternative for Germany (AfD) will likely come a solid third on their second ever general election day.
The study by the polling firm YouGov also cast negativity on the outcome for the left-wing Social Democrats (SPD) claiming the election could be one of the party’s worst ever results, Die Welt reports.
YouGov predicts the AfD will receive 12 per cent of the total vote leading to them gaining 85 seats in their second-ever national election.
The clear winner of the election with 36 per cent and 255 seats will be the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), led by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
In second place, the study projects the SPD will receive 25 per cent of the vote and 176 seats. The result would be one of the worst elections for the SPD since 2009 when they received only 23 per cent of the vote.Other polls have been even less generous toward the party led by former European Union parliament president Martin Schulz claiming the party could poll as low as 20
Other polls have been even less generous toward the party led by former European Union parliament president Martin Schulz claiming the party could poll as low as 20 per cent on Sunday.
YouGov also examined voting by region showing Merkel and her party’s coalition partner the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) leading in 13 of the 16 regions. Only in Hamburg and Bremen does the SPD hold a polling lead whilst the capital Berlin is currently too close to call.
The real loss for the SPD has been in East Germany where the AfD has gained substantial support in recent years due to the migrant crisis and reflected in several regional election results. Recently, whilst out campaigning in Eastern Germany, Merkel was met with large protests and was called a “traitor to the people” for her role in the migrant crisis.