AfD Leads German Polls as Parties Debate Ban and Discipline

In Germany in late September 2026, polls show the far-right AfD leading other parties by a record margin of 10.5 percentage points, while Chancellor Merz's CDU/CSU Union has fallen to 19 percent. The Social Democrats (SPD) are calling for a ban on the AfD, citing lessons from German history.

Separately, Bundestag President Julia Klöckner warned the AfD and the Left party that she could expel their entire parliamentary groups if they disrupt proceedings. In Saxony-Anhalt, the SPD, Greens, Left, and BSW plan to continue talks on forming a state government. The Left's proposal to nationalize large housing companies in Berlin faces legal hurdles, and the SPD parliamentary leadership insists on changes to the nursing care reform.