Rise of German Far Right Alarms Mainstream Parties in Polls

A new poll shows that support for Germany's leading far-right party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), has reached a record high of 18%, putting it on par with Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats. The rise in support has alarmed mainstream parties, with some describing it as a "disaster" and an "alarm signal". The AfD has come under scrutiny for ties to extremists, but two-thirds of its supporters in the latest poll said they were frustrated with mainstream parties rather than convinced by the far-right's policies. The party is expected to do well in three state elections in eastern Germany next year.