FILE PHOTO: German Chancellor Angela Merkel gives a speech in Berlin, Germany, March 16, 2017. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch/File Photo

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives were ahead of the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) in the latest poll published six months before what is shaping up to be a tight national election.

The conservatives were up one percentage point on 33 percent in the latest Ipsos poll compared with the same survey two weeks ago while the SPD also gained one point to 30 percent.

The right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) was steady on 11 percent - a result that would mean it emerges from a Sept. 24 election as the third biggest party.

The far-left Linke and the Greens were both on 8 percent while the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) were on 6 percent, meaning they would cross the 5 percent threshold necessary to enter parliament.

The survey of 1,055 people was carried out from March 17 to 20.