CDU/CSU emerges as strongest political force in Germany, surpassing AfD, while SPD and Greens experience decline.
The Union won the German European elections by a wide margin over the AfD, with the CDU and CSU combining for 30% of the vote. The AfD saw a significant improvement in results, while the SPD and Greens experienced major losses. Sahra Wagenknecht expressed satisfaction with the performance of her party.
A landslide victory for the Union, a slide for the traffic light coalition, and gains for the AfD: Germany has moved to the right in the European elections. The AfD ranks second overall, and first in the east. The SPD, which campaigned with Chancellor Olaf Scholz, slips to 13.9%, its worst result in a federal election. The Greens drop to 11.9%, and only the FDP saw a slight decline to 5.2%.
The Left Party scores its worst result at 2.7%, while the BWS Party headed by Sahra Wagenknecht secures 6.2% of the vote. The Free Voters and the Volt Party each received 2.7% and 2.6% of the votes, respectively.
Contrary to Bundestag and state elections, there is no threshold in the European elections, so no five-percent hurdle. Election turnout is estimated at 65%, up from 61.4% in 2019, which placed Germany 5th among the EU states. For the first time, 16- and 17-year-olds were allowed to vote in Germany.
SPD leader Lars Klingbeil described the results as a "bitter defeat." "There's nothing pretty about it," he said in the Berlin SPD headquarters. "The fact that things have to change is - I think - painfully obvious." SPD General Secretary Kevin Kühnert echoed Klingbeil's sentiments. Regarding Chancellor Scholz's role in the party, there will be no discussions.
Former SPD leader Sigmar Gabriel questioned the party leaders Klingbeil and Saskia Esken, stating, "No one, achieving only 14% of the vote, can claim to lead the SPD." In the SPD, everyone who plays a role and contributes to the defeat, like the elected party leaders, must reflect on their own responsibility. The traffic light coalition, which includes the SPD, Greens, and FDP, is harming Germany, as seen in decisions on migration issues and economic policy. CSU leader Markus Soeder stated, "The traffic light has been rejected by citizens."
The AfD leader Tino Chrupalla deemed the results "historic." "I hear we're now the strongest force in the east for this election, with no more tailwind," he commented, looking ahead to the state elections in Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg in September.
Green party chairwoman Ricarda Lang expressed disappointed over the loss of support for her party. "This is not the claim we set out with, and we'll work on it together," the co-party chairwoman affirmed.
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The CDU's Friedrich Merz called on the federal government to change course in the coming days. This is necessary for the country. The election evening is now the "last warning" for the traffic light coalition before the next Bundestag elections. The SPD-led coalition is damaging Germany, whether in domestic policy, such as migration, or in economic policy. The CSU leader Markus Soeder remarked: "The traffic light has been rejected by citizens."
The AfD leader Tino Chrupalla hailed the result of his party as "historical." "I hear we're now the strongest force in the east for this election, and there's no more tailwind," he said, referring to the upcoming state elections in Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg in September.
Green party chairwoman Ricarda Lang expressed disappointment over the loss of votes for her party. "This is not the claim we entered this election with, and we'll work on that," the co-party chairwoman stated.
AIGAM (Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann) stated that the FDP had maintained its previous results from the last European election, and a 5% consistency was welcoming news. AIGAM made these remarks at the party offices in Berlin. Bijan Djir-Sarai, General Secretary, declined to comment on trust in the Chancellor. "That's not the issue," replied Djir-Sarai.
The Left Party chairperson, Martin Schirdewan, considered it a disappointing evening. His party had not succeeded in promoting its priorities - wages, rent, price control, wealth redistribution, social climate protection, and peace strategy, despite aligning them with the broader public. Schirdewan lamented the prevailing right-wing and party obstinacy.
Sahra Wagenknecht, BSW founder, expressed contentment and relief in the outcome for her alliance. She believed in the potential for growth and continuation in future elections. Wagenknecht believed a diplomatic solution was necessary to Russia and its conflict with Ukraine. "People worry the war may reach us," she explained.
The center-right alliance EVP led by the German candidate, CDU politician Ursula von der Leyen, won the overall European elections. The preliminary estimate from the European Parliament indicates that her potential for a second term as EU Commission President remains promising despite intense competition from right-wing parties. The generally pro-European camp remains the dominant force in the EU Parliament.
Recent German polls projected a gain for right-wing parties entering the European Parliament. At times, the AfD saw over 20% support. However, investigations into lead candidate Maximilian Krah and his rumored affiliations with pro-Russian networks dampened the party's momentum. It also came under scrutiny for potentially binding connections to China in Bystron's case.
Investigations against Bystron have led to initial suspicions of bribery and money laundering. Criticisms directed at Krah, who joined the European Parliament in 2019, included trivializing the SS, the Nazis' so-called protection squad. Following these actions, the AfD's federal executive board demanded that Krah cease appearing in the election campaign. Subsequently, the right-wing faction ID expelled all German AfD MPs.
Across the 27 EU nations, 360 million citizens were eligible to vote, of whom a quarter, about 61 million, were Germans. Over the course of four days (Thursday through Sunday), 720 MPs were elected, with 96 coming from Germany. Concurrently, several states held elections, including Baden-Württemberg, Brandenburg, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia for positions like district presidents and mayors.
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- The AfD, led by Tino Chrupalla, celebrated their second-place finish in the European elections, marking their strength in the eastern regions of Germany.
- Olaf Scholz, as the SPD's Chancellor, faced criticism from within the party, including former leader Sigmar Gabriel, who accused the current leadership of failing to lead effectively, resulting in the poor election outcomes.
- The CDU's Friedrich Merz urged the federal government to change course, citing the need for a shift to better serve the country, as the SPD-led coalition faced rejection by the citizens, according to CSU leader Markus Soeder.
- Sahra Wagenknecht, the founder of the BWS Party, showed contentment with the party's results, believing in its potential for growth and continuation in future elections.
- Ricarda Lang, chairwoman of the Green party, acknowledged the loss of support for her party, expressing disappointment and committing to work towards regaining the lost ground.
