The conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) remained the strongest political force at the district level in the northwestern state of Lower Saxony after local elections were held there, according to preliminary results released on Monday. DW reports, UNN writes.
Details
Sunday's elections attracted unusually high attention because they were seen as an indicator of the level of support for the far-right "Alternative for Germany" (AfD) after its convincing victory in elections in the state of Saxony-Anhalt last week.
Mayors, district chiefs and local councils in the state were elected.
Results of the elections in Lower Saxony
For Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who is under pressure, the result was undoubtedly a relief: his CDU came in first, receiving 27.2% of the vote. This is slightly less than the 31.7% the party received in the last local elections in Lower Saxony in 2021.
The Social Democratic Party (SPD), which leads the coalition government at the state level, came in second with 24.6% support — a sharp decline from 30% in 2021.
The AfD came in third with 15.9%, more than tripling its 2021 result.
The Greens, the junior partner in the state-level coalition, received 14.1% of the vote, compared with 15.9% in 2021.
Rounding out the list are the Left Party and the Free Democratic Party (FDP), with 6% and 3.7%, respectively.