Far-right AfD surges in Berlin state election polls, nearly doubling its 2023 vote share

Berliners will vote on Sunday to elect a new state parliament. The far-right AfD is surging, projected to win around 18 percent of the vote, nearly double its 2023 result. The Left and CDU are neck and neck at around 21-23 percent, while the SPD, Berlin's traditional largest party, is plummeting to around 10-12 percent. The AfD's campaign has focused on migration and local issues, and its rise follows success in Saxony-Anhalt. Several coalition options are possible, but the 'firewall' against the far right is likely to hold.