The three parties of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition suffered a severe defeat on Sunday, October 8, during elections in two large regions, strongholds of the conservatives, which also show a surge in the far right, according to initial estimates .
Mr. Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens and the liberals of the FDP are in decline in the two elections which took place in Bavaria (south), the largest German state in terms of area, and in Hesse (west) where Frankfurt is located. In Bavaria, the FDP did not, according to initial estimates, reach the 5% needed to remain in parliament.
According to estimates, the conservatives won both elections as expected and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party could take second place. “We are on the right track,” AfD co-leader Alice Weidel quickly responded, interpreting the results as “a punishment” for the government and “a vote for change.”
In Hesse, the SPD led by Interior Minister Nancy Faeser paid the price: the party would come in only fourth position (15.2%), after the AfD (16.8%) and the Greens (15 .5%), and far behind the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) led by an unknown person, Boris Rhein, who won 34.7%, up significantly compared to 2018 (27%), according to initial estimates.
In Bavaria, the thunderous head of government Markus Söder certainly won the election, but with a slightly lower result (36.7%) and the worst in more than 70 years for his Christian Social Union (CSU) party, avatar regional of the CDU.
The AfD (15.8%) and the Greens (15.6%) are neck and neck for second place in Bavaria, while the SPD, chronically weak in this state, is still losing votes (8.5%) ). Mr. Söder is expected to renew his coalition with the Free Voters (Freie Wähler), a very conservative party based in the countryside which received 14% of the vote.
