German eurosceptics poll 7% ahead of European vote

(BERLIN) - The eurosceptic Alternative for Germany (AfD) party scored seven percent in a poll published Sunday ahead of May's European Parliament elections where populist groups are hoping to boost their numbers.

The Emnid institute poll was published by newspaper Bild am Sonntag a day after the political newcomer party elected its top European candidates and railed against Germany's mainstream political groups.

Party chief Bernd Lucke, 51, branded Chancellor Angela Merkel a "chameleon" and, under a campaign dubbed "Courage for Germany", promised an alternative to "adaptable, streamlined, slick politicians who stand for nothing".

The AfD, which has said it favours a return from the euro to the deutschmark currency, was formed last year but missed out on seats in September national elections, scoring just below a five percent threshold.

However, the hurdle is lower to enter the 766-seat European Parliament, the legislature of the 28-nation bloc, where parties need a minimum of three percent of the vote.

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen and Dutch anti-Islamic leader Geert Wilders have launched an alliance ahead of the elections, which will be held against a backdrop of discontent over Europe's economic woes, hoping to attract more populist groups.

The AfD, whose election number-two is Hans-Olaf Henkel, the 73-year-old former head of the German Industry Federation, has sought to distance itself from far-right, racist and outright anti-EU groups.

Demonstrators nonetheless marched past the meeting venue on Saturday waving banners that charged "Your racism makes us sick".

The Emnid poll also gave Merkel's conservatives 42 percent and her coalition allies the Social Democrats 26 percent, close to the September election results. The Greens scored 10 percent in the survey and election losers the Free Democrats won just three percent.