German parties’ popularity shifts in new poll, as CDU gains and SPD loses ground
A recent survey by the Insa Institute, commissioned by the German newspaper Bild, has revealed a shift in the popularity of Germany’s major political parties. The poll, conducted from May 16 to 19, 2025, surveyed a total of 2,008 citizens and showed the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), gaining one percentage point to reach 26 percent, if a federal election were held on Sunday.
In contrast, the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) suffered a loss of half a percentage point, now standing at 15.5 percent. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) maintained its 24.5 percent support, while the Alliance 90/The Greens, the Left Party, the Free Voters and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) held steady at 11, 10, 4 and 3.5 percent, respectively. The remaining parties combined for a 5.5 percent share, a 0.5 percentage point decline from the previous week.
Insa’s chief, Hermann Binkert, commented to Bild, “The Union is widening its lead over the AfD again, but still lags behind its Bundestag election result. It is impossible to govern without the CDU, but it needs two more parties or the AfD as a partner.