BERLIN – Initial projections from Sunday’s state election in Rhineland-Palatinate show German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) capturing the lead with 30.5% of votes cast, according to forecasts aired on ARD public television following the close of polling stations.
The conservative party’s performance put them ahead of their coalition partners, the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), who garnered 27% of the vote in the western German state. This outcome signals a probable win for Merz following his party’s close defeat in the adjacent state of Baden-Wuerttemberg on March 8.
The projected victory comes as welcome news for Merz, who faces challenges including maintaining Western backing for Ukraine and confronting potential energy disruptions stemming from the Iran conflict. The win provides some consolation after the disappointing results his party experienced just two weeks prior.
Sunday’s results represent a significant setback for Merz’s SPD coalition allies in Berlin, who are still recovering from their poor showing in Baden-Wuerttemberg where they managed only 5.5% of votes – barely meeting the minimum threshold for parliamentary representation.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which has solidified its position as the nation’s second-largest political force, was projected to capture 20% of votes, matching their performance in the previous Baden-Wuerttemberg contest.
Based on final tallies, the CDU and SPD might establish a state-level partnership similar to their arrangement in Berlin, with CDU candidate Gordon Schnieder positioned to succeed current SPD premier Alexander Schweitzer.
This Rhineland-Palatinate contest marks the second of five state elections scheduled for this year, preceding closely monitored September races in Berlin and the eastern regions of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Saxony-Anhalt, where the AfD aims to secure its first significant electoral victory.
