Poll: Far-right party and newcomer close to majority in German state

Around two and a half months before the state elections in the eastern German state of Thuringia, polls are showing that two insurgent parties outside the mainstream could be close to winning a majority.

In a poll published on Tuesday by the opinion research institute Infratest dimap, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is in first place with 28%. The new Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), which combines left-wing economic policy with an anti-migration stance, is polling at 21%. Together the two parties would win almost half the votes.

The conservative Christian Democrats were at 23%, Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats polled at just 8% and the hard-right Die Linke came in at 11%.

The Greens and Free Democrats - Scholz's two partners in his national governing coalition - would not receive enough votes to be represented in parliament, according to the poll, which questioned over 1,100 people in Thuringia.

Political parties need a minimum of 5% to gain representation in parliament, under German election law.

September will be a crucial month for Germany politically with state elections in Thuringia and Saxony on September 1 and in Brandenburg on September 22, all states where the AfD is expected to do well.

All other parties have so far ruled out an alliance with the AfD.

If the election goes as the polls suggest, the only option for the mainstream parties would be to form a government with the participation of the BSW, potentially shaking up local politics.

A coalition led by Die Linke is currently in power in Thuringia.