Germany news: Far-right AfD ahead of Merz's conservatives

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AdvertisementSkip next section What you need to know

What you need to know

• Support for the far-right Alternative for Germany is unchanged at 26%
• A poll shows that Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative bloc would win 25% of the vote, down one percentage point
• A rescue operation is underway for a stranded humpback whale Timmy
• Efforts to save the whale had been shelved until a privately funded initiative got underway

Here are the latest headlines from Germany on Friday, April 17, 2026:

Skip next section Lufthansa pilot strike grounds hundreds of flights, again04/17/2026April 17, 2026

Lufthansa pilot strike grounds hundreds of flights, again

Pilots at Lufthansa have continued a two-day strike, forcing hundreds of flight cancellations at Frankfurt Airport.

Airline operations have been hit once again, with services across Lufthansa, Cityline, Eurowings and the cargo division affected.

The walkout follows earlier strikes this week. Pilots represented by the Vereinigung Cockpit union are demanding improvements to pension arrangements.

Cabin crew also staged strikes earlier in the week, led by UFO, focusing on working conditions.

Hundreds of Lufthansa flights have been canceled each day since the start of the week, although the group said about 70% of its overall flights still operated, including services by non-striking subsidiaries such as Austrian and Brussels Airlines.

The airline announced Thursday it would shut down its Cityline subsidiary with immediate effect, citing the strikes and high fuel costs. The pilots' union criticized the move as being made "without regard for employees."

https://p.dw.com/p/5CLEBSkip next section Police rescue ducklings from highway 04/17/2026April 17, 2026

Police rescue ducklings from highway

Police have rescued four frightened ducklings after motorists reported a family attempting to cross a highway near the town of Bühl in southwestern Germany.

Officers from the traffic unit searched the area and found the young birds stranded in a nearby grass verge. Not all of the ducklings survived the crossing attempt, police said.

The rescued animals were placed in a service cap lined with grass, where they quickly settled, before being taken to an animal shelter for further care.

https://p.dw.com/p/5CKqLSkip next section Augsburg mourns former goalkeeper Manninger04/17/2026April 17, 2026

Augsburg mourns former goalkeeper Manninger

The Bundesliga club Augsburg has paid tribute to its former goalkeeper Alexander Manninger, who died at the age of 48 in a tragic accident.

The Austrian was killed in a traffic accident near Salzburg after his car collided with a local train.

Manninger played for Augsburg from 2012 to 2016, making 36 Bundesliga appearances during his time at the club. He also had spells in Italy and with Arsenal, and earned 33 caps for Austria. He ended his career in 2017 at Liverpool.

"We are deeply shocked by the death of our former player and friend Alexander Manninger," said a statement from Augsburg managing director Michael Ströll. "Alex was not only a first-class goalkeeper, but also a highly respected and outstanding person beyond borders, who enriched our team and our entire club with his character."

https://p.dw.com/p/5CKBASkip next section Who is behind the latest attempt to save Timmy?04/17/2026April 17, 2026

Who is behind the latest attempt to save Timmy?

One of those behind the latest effort is the founder of the electrical appliance giant MediaMarkt, Walter Gunz.

"If you try something, then at least you have a chance of saving it," Gunz told the DPA news agency.

Coverage of the humpback's struggle for survival and efforts to rescue it have gripped the German public. There have been regular demonstrations in support of the stricken marine mammal, calling for renewed rescue efforts. Some online posts targeted officials with death threats.

Alongside Gunz in the bid is entrepreneur Karin Walter-Mommert, who is famed in the equestrian world. "We have no chance, but we're taking it," she told DPA. "Better an end with horror than a horror without end."

"This situation now is unbearable for all of Germany, for people with empathy and compassion," Walter-Mommert added.

https://p.dw.com/p/5CKJnSkip next section Stranded whale thrashes as diver approaches04/17/2026April 17, 2026

Stranded whale thrashes as diver approaches

The stranded humpback whale off Poel, dubbed Timmy by German media, has reacted violently to an approaching diver, thrashing its tail and turning sharply in shallow water.

Live footage showed the animal striking with its fluke and rotating nearly 90 degrees, prompting rescuers to pull back from the scene.

The whale calmed down again minutes later and returned to lying still in waist-deep water.

https://p.dw.com/p/5CKL0Skip next section Rescue preparations resume for stranded whale04/17/2026April 17, 2026

Rescue preparations resume for stranded whale

Preparations for a rescue attempt of a stranded humpback whale off the port of Wismar have resumed, with several boats approaching the animal in shallow Baltic waters.

Live footage showed teams moving in Friday morning as a privately funded initiative readied equipment to lift the whale using air cushions and floating pontoons.

The effort aims to refloat the animal and tow it toward the North Sea or Atlantic.

Authorities in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern have allowed the attempt but said responsibility lies solely with the private initiative.

The whale has been roaming the German Baltic coast since early March and became stranded multiple times, most recently near the island of Poel. Officials and experts say it is in very poor condition, likely ill and possibly dying, with repeated strandings seen as a sign of severe problems.

Earlier rescue efforts were halted more than two weeks ago after being deemed futile and potentially harmful, a view backed by a scientific assessment last week.

As a possible last chance, Environment Minister Till Backhaus approved the plan, with the initiative warning the outcome is "not foreseeable." Backhaus said there was a chance the project could succeed and that it should be taken, adding authorities would closely monitor and oversee the operation and describing the whale as "a seriously ill patient."

https://p.dw.com/p/5CKEYSkip next section Far-right AfD overtakes German conservatives in new poll04/17/2026April 17, 2026

Far-right AfD overtakes German conservatives in new poll

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has edged ahead of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) for a second time this week.

The survey published by broadcaster ZDF on Friday showed the AfD steady at 26%, while the conservative CDU/CSU bloc of Chancellor Friedrich Merz slipped one point to 25%.

The center-left Social Democrats (SPD), who led the last government, saw their support dip to 12%.

Support for the Greens dipped to 14%, while the Left rose to 11%. The business-focused Free Democrats polled at 3%, with other parties on a combined 9%.

The poll has pointed to growing frustration with the ruling coalition, particularly over its handling of rising fuel prices linked to the Iran war. A large majority said government measures were insufficient, with 81% calling for stronger action and 57% saying the energy transition is moving too slowly.

Overall satisfaction with the coalition of CDU, CSU and SPD has dropped to 27%, down from 34% in March. Approval of Chancellor Friedrich Merz has fallen to 30%.

Ratings for Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil and Economy Minister Katherina Reiche have also weakened, with fewer than a third saying they are doing a good job.

In personal ratings, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius remains the most popular, ahead of the Greens’ Cem Özdemir and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul. Merz has dropped to eighth place with his lowest rating yet.

The survey, conducted by pollsters Forschungsgruppe Wahlen, is not the first institute to put the AfD ahead of the conservative bloc. 

Recent polls by YouGov, INSA and Forsa also rank the anti-immigrant, eurosceptic party as the leading force.

The anti-immigrant eurosceptic party was also ranked as the leading force in polls by YouGov, INSA and Forsa, with the widest margin appearing in a YouGov survey that put the AfD at 27% compared with 23% for the CDU/CSU bloc.

https://p.dw.com/p/5CJrrSkip next section Welcome to our coverage04/17/2026April 17, 2026

Welcome to our coverage

Richard Connor | Rana Taha Editor

Guten Tag as we look forward to weekend on a sunny Friday morning in Bonn.

We're here as a new poll shows the far-right Alternative for Germany polling ahead of the conservative CDU/CSU bloc of Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

The same poll also confirmed a slump in support for the center-left Social Democrats, Germany's oldest political party.

Stick with us here for the latest stories that Germany is talking about.

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