US EditionConservatives Unseat Social Democrats in Rhineland-Palatinate After 35 Years as AfD Surges to Record 20%
The Christian Democratic Union led by Friedrich Merz won 30.8% of the vote, ending SPD’s 35-year rule amid rising far-right support nearing 20%, broadcaster ARD reported.
- On March 22, the ARD forecast showed the Christian Democrats at 30.50% and the Social Democrats at 27%, pointing to a likely victory for Chancellor Friedrich Merz's CDU in Rhineland-Palatinate.
- Earlier this month, early projections showed the CDU at 30.80% and the SPD at 26% after a narrow March 8 loss in Baden‑Wuerttemberg, with Merz focusing on Ukraine support and energy shock risks.
- Polls showed the AfD taking about 20% of votes, more than doubling its support since the last election, while the SPD managed only 5.50% in Baden‑Wuerttemberg.
- Parties are expected to negotiate a Berlin‑style coalition, with CDU candidate Gordon Schnieder poised to replace sitting SPD premier Alexander Schweitzer, and losing control would deepen the SPD's crisis and pressure Merz's national coalition.
- This was the second of five state elections this year, and CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann said the result showed strong backing for CDU/CSU and SPD, which could exceed 50%.
119 Articles
119 Articles
Rhineland-Palatinate has chosen and the CDU has every reason to rejoice. What follows in the federal government – no one wants to talk about this on election evening. Nor about the AfD success.
The CDU clearly won the state parliament election in Rhineland-Palatinate. According to the preliminary final result, it received 31 percent of the votes and thus about 3 points more than in the last election. The SPD came to 25.9 percent and lost almost 10 points.
Still Prime Minister Alexander Schweitzer cannot use his official bonus. The CDU prof Gordon Schnieder benefits from the change of mood.
The German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's party came in the lead on Sunday in Rhineland-Palatinate, ahead of the social democrats who had a disappointment in a fief, while the far right was moving towards a record score, according to first results.
The CDU with top candidate Gordon Schnieder overtakes the SPD in the state elections. The AfD wins 11.2 percent.
The conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party broke up the Social Democratic Party (SPD) this Sunday in its bastion of Rhineland-Palatinate, in southwestern Germany, where it had ruled for 35 years continuously, while the far-right more than doubled its votes in 2021 and became a third force.With 96% of the votes cast, the CDU obtained 30.9%, the SPD 25.9%, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) 19.6% and the Greens 7.8%.
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