Germany's Mainstream Parties Face Setbacks in European Parliament Vote

Exit polls indicate poor performance for Germany's governing parties and gains for the far-right Alternative for Germany in the European Parliament elections. Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats and the environmentalist Greens saw reduced support, while the conservative Union bloc remained the strongest political force.

Exit polls pointed to very weak results for Germany's governing parties and gains for the far-right Alternative for Germany in Sunday's vote for the European Parliament, signaling a troubling shift in the country's political landscape.

Support for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left Social Democrats dropped to 14%, a significant decline from 2019's 15.8% and drastically lower than their performance in Germany's 2021 national election. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) improved to 16.5%, rising from 11% in 2019, yet trailing behind their earlier poll ratings this year despite several scandals involving their lead candidates.

The environmentalist Greens, another key player in Scholz's coalition, fell sharply from 20.5% five years ago to around 12%, while the pro-business Free Democrats saw their support dip to 5%. Conversely, the center-right Union bloc, now the main opposition, maintained strong support at around 30%, consistent with their 2019 results and an improvement from the last national election.