Slumping Wrong

What's behind Germany's far-right AfD party slump in polls?: A survey has seen the AfD in eastern Germany — the party's longtime stronghold — drop from first to third position in just a year. Is this a sign of things to come for the far-right?

"There are several reasons for this development ... Firstly, several high profile violent events in 2019 changed the political discourse. ... Another major factor in the AfD's loss in support is party infighting which has played out publicly in recent months in a spate of scandals that have highlighted the far-right extremist streak running through the party. 
Over the six years of the party's existence, the AfD has become all too familiar with scandals surrounding Holocaust deniers and far-right extremists."

...

"No fresh ideas: Throughout their existence, the AfD party has thrived on key topics: In 2015, the far-right populists were brought back from near-extinction after adopting a staunchly anti-migrant stance in the face of the arrival of Syrian refugees. Attempts to capitalize on dissatisfaction with anti-coronavirus measures do not seem to have paid off. ... The AfD has failed to come up with suggestions to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, it has latched on to coronavirus-skeptic demonstrations — frequented, among others, by conspiracy theorists and known far-right extremists. But in Germany, like in other countries, strong leadership in times of the pandemic give a boost to ruling parties. 

The AfD, meanwhile, has aligned itself with skeptics on the issue of climate change: They are seeking to protect Germany's auto industry and are campaigning against bans on diesel cars. Such rhetoric has resonated little to date since the topic of climate change has taken a back seat in times of coronavirus pandemic."