German exit polls point to far-right gains in European election and a weak government showing

BERLIN (AP) — Exit polls point to very weak results for Germany’s governing parties and gains for the far-right Alternative for Germany in Sunday’s vote for the European Parliament, while the mainstream conservative opposition is set to remain the country’s strongest political force in the legislature. The polls for ARD and ZDF public television showed support for Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s center-left Social Democrats at 14%, below the 15.8% they managed in 2019 and far below their showing in Germany’s last national election in 2021. Alternative for Germany, or AfD, was seen winning up to 16.5% of the vote. That’s better than its showing of 11% in 2019 but still some way short of its poll ratings several months ago.