The AfD is surging and Berlin is going to the polls. Could the 'City of Freedom' fall to the far-right? (https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/afd-berlin-state-election-saxony-anhalt-germany-b3050639.html)
QuoteGermany is facing a far-right surge (https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/afd-right-wing-extremist-members-germany-b3005962.html) as the Alternativ fur Deutschland (AfD) (https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/afd-right-wing-extremist-members-germany-b3005962.html) gains momentum across the country. Berlin, one of the world's most liberal cities, could be next when voters go the polls on Sunday.
After success in the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt (https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/afd-election-saxony-anhalt-migrants-terrified-b3047919.html), the party has set its sights on the capital, as it continues its efforts to modify its brand after being classified by German intelligence as a right-wing extremist (https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/sweden-election-democrats-far-right-polls-b3048403.html) organisation.
Strong polling places the AfD just 3.4 per cent behind The Left party and 2.5 per cent behind chancellor Friedrich Merz's centre-right CDU, according to an average published by dawum.de (http://dawum.de/). It's a dramatic change from three years ago, when the AfD sat 19.1 per cent behind the leaders in Berlin's state election.