Exit polls from the European Parliament vote in Germany have indicated a challenging outcome for the country's governing parties and notable gains for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). The mainstream conservative opposition, however, is poised to maintain its position as the strongest political force in the legislature.
The exit polls conducted by ARD and ZDF public television revealed that the center-left Social Democrats, led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, garnered only 14% of the vote. This figure is lower than their 2019 performance of 15.8% and significantly below their results in the last national election in 2021.
On the other hand, the AfD is projected to secure up to 16.5% of the vote, an improvement from their 2019 showing of 11%. Despite this increase, the party's current performance falls short of its previous poll ratings earlier this year. The AfD has faced challenges in 2022, including controversies involving its top candidates for the European Parliament.
The environmentalist Greens, the second-largest party in Scholz's coalition, experienced a decline in support from 20.5% five years ago to approximately 12% in this election. The pro-business Free Democrats, the third party in the government, were seen with a 5% share of the vote.
Leading the way in the exit polls is the center-right Union bloc, now the primary opposition force, with an estimated 30% of the vote. This result aligns with their performance in 2019 and surpasses their showing in the most recent national election.
