New German Anti-Euro Party Could Get 5 Percent at the Polls on Sunday

Inevitable neo-nazi references beginning

Bernd Lucke is a happy man. When he founded the anti-euro Alternative for Deutschland Party (AfD) six months ago, many dismissed him as the leader of a fringe group seeking to capitalize on a protest vote in national elections later this week.

Now, standing under the Brandenburg Gate under a light drizzle in front of several hundred supporters — mostly men with gray beards and spectacles — the economics professor said his party looks set to win at least 5 percent of the popular vote, the amount needed to qualify for seats in parliament when the country votes on Sunday.