A new INSA survey shows: The AfD has suffered massive losses in the first votes. The scandals of the past few weeks and months have massively shaken voters’ trust.
Pollsters have found a dramatic decline in the AfD in a new survey, reports the “ Bild ” newspaper. The party’s ongoing scandals are apparently having an increasingly negative impact on the poll numbers. The current analysis by the opinion research institute Insa shows that the AfD could suffer significant losses in the first votes, which would seriously endanger the number of its direct mandates.
At the beginning of the year, the AfD achieved impressive results in the Sunday question in the federal election. Insa predicted the party would receive over 20 percent of the vote and 43 direct mandates. The AfD was particularly strong in eastern Germany in January. In Saxony she could have won 13 of 15 constituencies, and in Thuringia even all of them. The AfD would also have had a chance of winning four direct mandates in the West.
But since spring, the party has been rocked by several scandals. First, the bribery scandal involving Bundestag member Petr Bystron became known. Then allegations of spying were made against Maximilian Krah, who was subsequently excluded from the party executive and from all election campaign activities.
According to the latest Insa survey, the AfD would have suffered massive losses due to these scandals. While on January 15th it was predicted that it would win 43 constituencies, this number fell to just 17 by May 21st. In West Germany, the AfD would only win one constituency (Duisburg), in East Germany only three in Brandenburg, ten in Saxony and three in Thuringia.
The survey results highlighted the impact of the internal scandals and the associated loss of trust among voters. The AfD now faces significant challenges. The next federal election is scheduled for late summer or fall 2025.