Poll shows German right-wing chancellor candidate leading – Bild
According to a report from the newspaper, AfD leader Alice Weidel enjoys the backing of 24% of respondents in the survey. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Alice Weidel, co-leader of the right-wing AfD party, is leading her competitors in the race to become the next chancellor, according to a recent survey by the INSA polling institute for Bild.
The poll, released by the tabloid on Sunday, indicated that Weidel enjoys the backing of 24% of participants, surpassing Friedrich Merz, the leader of the Christian Democratic Union, who garnered 20%.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, representing the Social Democratic Party, has the support of 15%, while Robert Habeck, leader of the Green Party and a coalition partner, is favored by 14%.
The AfD selected Weidel, 45, as its first chancellor candidate on December 7, positioning itself for the upcoming snap elections set for February 23. She is expected to be officially confirmed as the AfD's nominee at a party conference in the coming month.
In a recent Bloomberg interview, Weidel criticized the EU, claiming it is undermining the German auto industry, a crucial sector for the nation's economy, and suggested reverting the EU to a free-trade zone.
Earlier this month, the AfD outlined in its draft election manifesto a call for Germany to exit the EU and the euro, akin to Brexit, including a proposal for a referendum on the matter.
According to a spokesperson, the AfD's membership has surged by 50% to approximately 50,600 over the last year, although this figure represents only about 14% of the membership of Germany's largest parties, the CDU/CSU conservative bloc and the SPD.
In recent years, there has been a rise in right-wing, anti-immigration parties throughout the EU, which have taken power in countries such as Croatia, the Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, and Slovakia.
Ian Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
The poll, released by the tabloid on Sunday, indicated that Weidel enjoys the backing of 24% of participants, surpassing Friedrich Merz, the leader of the Christian Democratic Union, who garnered 20%.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, representing the Social Democratic Party, has the support of 15%, while Robert Habeck, leader of the Green Party and a coalition partner, is favored by 14%.
The AfD selected Weidel, 45, as its first chancellor candidate on December 7, positioning itself for the upcoming snap elections set for February 23. She is expected to be officially confirmed as the AfD's nominee at a party conference in the coming month.
In a recent Bloomberg interview, Weidel criticized the EU, claiming it is undermining the German auto industry, a crucial sector for the nation's economy, and suggested reverting the EU to a free-trade zone.
Earlier this month, the AfD outlined in its draft election manifesto a call for Germany to exit the EU and the euro, akin to Brexit, including a proposal for a referendum on the matter.
According to a spokesperson, the AfD's membership has surged by 50% to approximately 50,600 over the last year, although this figure represents only about 14% of the membership of Germany's largest parties, the CDU/CSU conservative bloc and the SPD.
In recent years, there has been a rise in right-wing, anti-immigration parties throughout the EU, which have taken power in countries such as Croatia, the Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, and Slovakia.
Ian Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
