MOSCOW, June 7. /TASS/. The growing popularity of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) far-right party stems from Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s erroneous policies, Russian president’s special envoy for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries and CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Kirill Dmitriev said.

"The 500% rise of the AfD is not incredible--it is a direct result of Merz’s wrong policies on immigration, energy, the economy, censorship, and warmongering, and his failure to admit mistakes and correct them," he wrote on his X page, commenting on Welt’s publication about the 500% growth in the party’s popularity as indicated by opinion polls.

"Merz is Biden," Dmitriev added.