Voting Processes - CDU leads in European elections, AfD takes the lead in Germersheim.
The CDU emerged as the most popular party in all 12 free cities and every one of the 24 districts in Rhineland-Palatinate, according to a state election leader's analysis on Monday. Combining the free cities, 29 independent municipalities, and 129 municipal associations, the Union took the top spot in 169 out of 170 municipal units. Germersheim was the only exception, with the AfD emerging as the strongest party with 27.2% of the votes.
The CDU garnered a total of 30.7% of the votes in Rhineland-Palatinate during the European election on Sunday, a 0.6% decrease from five years ago. The traffic light parties that form the state government here saw mostly poor results: The SPD earned 17.5% (a 3.8% drop), the Greens secured 9.3% (a 7.4% decrease), and the FDP grabbed 5.9% (adding 0.1%).
The AfD became the third strongest party with 14.7% (an increase of 4.9%). The Free Voters, represented in the Rhineland-Palatinate state parliament, received 5.2% (an extra 2.3%). The new BSW party, led by Sahra Wagenknecht, debuted with 4.7% in Rhineland-Palatinate.
The CDU was notably strong in the state's northwest region, the AfD in the northeast and the Palatinate. The Verbandsgemeinde Adenau in the Eifel had the highest CDU votes at 47.2%, almost double the SPD's 23.9%. The CDU reached its peak in the Verbandsgemeinde Loreley with 25.7%.
The Greens excelled in their usual strongholds, free cities, while the FDP stood out in Rhineland-Hesse and districts of Ahrweiler and Bad Durkheim. The Free Voters achieved their best results in the Eifel and border areas with Luxembourg. The AfD achieved its best standing in the north-east of the state and the Palatinate. The BSW of Sahra Wagenknecht performed best in the Southwest Palatinate and Kaiserslautern area.
Going deeper, the AfD and BSW were particularly influential in areas facing economic hardships. The higher the number of unemployed individuals in a region and the more people reliant on social benefits, the better the performances of these two parties.
Additionally, there was a connection between a high proportion of young people aged 15-19 and the share of votes received by the AfD and BSW. Contrarily, the CDU and FDP had successful showings in regions with a high population of elderly people.
The election saw an increase in the number of postal voters, reaching 53.1% in Rhineland-Palatinate for the European Parliament vote, a new high watermark for this type of election in this particular federal state.
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The CDU's lead in the European elections extended to the free cities and districts in Rhineland-Palatinate, excluding Germersheim where the AfD saw a significant victory with 27.2% of the votes. This marked a significant increase for the AfD compared to five years ago. The CDU, despite a slight decrease in votes, remained the strongest party in Rhineland-Palatinate with 30.7%. The SPD, Greens, and FDP all saw a decline in votes, while the Free Voters and the new BSW party, led by Sahra Wagenknecht, made their debut in the state's political landscape.
In terms of regional performance, the CDU was strongest in the northwest, the AfD in the northeast and Palatinate, the Greens in free cities, the FDP in Rhineland-Hesse and some districts, the Free Voters in the Eifel and border areas with Luxembourg, and the BSW in the Southwest Palatinate and Kaiserslautern area. The AfD and BSW also performed well in areas with high unemployment and social benefit dependency, as well as in regions with a high proportion of young people aged 15-19. Contrarily, the CDU and FDP saw success in regions with a high population of elderly people.
The increase in postal voters reached 53.1% for the European Parliament vote in Rhineland-Palatinate, setting a new high watermark for this type of election in the federal state.
This year's European elections also saw the involvement of the German national soccer team in qualifying matches, as well as a moment of silence joined by President Steinmeier in response to a legal battle over an AfD protest. The flooding in the state has lessened, but the aftermath of mud remains.
