AfD surges ahead... in the social media popularity stakes

An online force to be reckoned with

An interesting story in Die Welt caught our eye this morning on the success of Germany's new anti-euro party Alternative für Deutschland in the online campaign.

While the party's support in the polls has stabilised on around 3% (not enough to secure seats in the Bundestag), it is surging ahead every day in the social media popularity stakes. With over 36,000 'likes' on Facebook, the party has long since overtaken the FPD, the CDU/CSU, Die Linke and the Greens, and is now only around 2,000 behind the SPD. The party is however unlikely to overtake the Pirate Party which (unsurprisingly) is Germany's most popular political party in the online world with 78,000 'likes'.

In practical terms this is not hugely meaningful unless the party can translate this into actual votes in September. It does however suggest that early perceptions of AfD as a party dominated by stuffy, middle-aged male academics could be some way off the mark.