Germany: Polls Show Social Democrats Behind Merkel's Conservatives


German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks during the 53rd Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, February 18, 2017. Credit: Guido Bergmann/Reuters
Berlin: Germany's centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) are trailing Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives, an opinion poll showed on Tuesday, after a different survey on Sunday put the SPD ahead.
The Allensbach poll, which is due to be published in newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on Wednesday, showed Merkel's conservative bloc on 33% – ahead of the SPD on 30.5%.
The poll showed the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) on 8.5% while the far-left Linke and the Greens were both on 8%.
The liberal Free Democrats (FDP) were on 7% – above the 5% threshold needed to enter parliament.
The poll of 1,542 people was carried out between February 1 and February 15.
(Reuters)
The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.




