Survey: Germans rule out right-wing AfD party's long-term prospects

The majority of Germans expect that the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) will only be represented in the national parliament for a short time, according to a survey conducted on behalf of dpa and published Thursday.

The AfD surged into the national parliament at last month's election, with 12.6 per cent of the vote, to become the first major far-right party to enter the Bundestag since World War II, sending shockwaves through the country's political establishment.

But, in a survey drawn up by the research institute YouGov, 54 per cent of respondents said they believed the new anti-foreigner party would not become a permanent part of the Bundestag, despite currently being set to become the third major force in parliament.

Only 27 per cent told YouGov they saw the AfD managing to establish itself as a fixture in the parliament in Berlin beyond the upcoming four-year legislative period, according to the survey, which was based on interviews with 2,000 voters.

The 92 new AfD lawmakers are to meet on Thursday to elect their deputy parliamentary faction leaders, after electing the leaders last month.

The AfD is not the first right-wing party to emerge in Germany since World War II.

However, right-wing parties such as the National Democratic Party, the Republicans and the German Peoples' Union have all rapidly gained support before losing momentum.

Still, AfD supporters are upbeat about the prospects for their party, which was only founded in 2013.

Three out of four AfD voters told YouGov they believe the party will succeed.