Warning of the growing influence of the far-right in German public opinion

The snap election is due to be held on February 23 following the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Schulz’s government in November. The ruling coalition in Germany, also known as the “traffic light” coalition, is made up of the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), led by Schulz, the Green Party and the pro-business Free Democrats.
Al Jazeera quoted a German teacher as saying that he plans to vote for the far-right populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the snap parliamentary elections on February 23.
The German, who has been a supporter of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party for its pro-vaccine stance since the Covid-19 pandemic, said the Alternative for Germany (AfD) was the only party that had acted differently on issues that play a decisive role in our daily lives.
Last week, Friedrich Mertz, the leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), who appears poised to become Germany’s next chancellor, proposed a proposal for stricter immigration rules, known as the Five-Point Plan, which was supported by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).
Although the draft plan was ultimately rejected in the German parliament, Mertz’s decision to work with the AfD broke a barrier that Germany’s main political parties had built up to prevent cooperation with the far-right.
Amid widespread public and political condemnation and protests in Berlin, former US Chancellor Angela Merkel and Schulz accused Mertz of making an “unforgivable mistake.”
Analysts say that dissatisfaction among German voters with the performance of the country's main political parties over the war in Ukraine and the rising cost of living has intensified.
New polls show that the Alternative for Germany party is likely to come in second place in the upcoming parliamentary elections with 21 percent of the vote - 10 points behind the Social Democrats and the Christian Social Union.
Analysts predict that the Alternative for Germany, once considered a non-political party, is poised for its biggest electoral gains in the 12 years since its founding.
Olivero Angeli, a political researcher at the Technical University of Dresden, told Al Jazeera that the recent tensions in the German parliament are likely to strengthen the far-right in terms of legitimacy and visibility.
Researchers believe that the support of American billionaire and entrepreneur Elon Musk, Donald Trump's pick to lead the Ministry of "Government Efficiency", as a factor in boosting support for the far-right party in Germany.
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) has campaigned on the policy of "re-migration", a term used by nationalists to describe the return of migrants to their home countries.
Other key parts of the party's manifesto, which was unveiled at its headquarters last month, include the reinstatement of the German mark as the national currency, a rejection of green transition policies and education reforms.
Analysts predict that while the party is unlikely to win an outright victory in the German election, its stance on controversial issues such as immigration will shake up Europe's largest economy, with potential repercussions across the continent.