Voting events - Concerned gaze fixed on the Hamburg district election results.
Following the severe defeats in the European elections, Hamburg's Greens are anticipating the upcoming district election results on Monday. Five years prior, they had triumphed in both elections, with a staggering 31.3% of the votes in Hamburg, surpassing the SPD's 24%. The CDU earned 18.2%, the Left received 10.8%, the FDP secured 6.6%, and the AfD took 6.4%.
Green party head Leon Alam has voiced a 'favorably optimistic' prediction that the outcome will outperform the national level in the European election. Despite this, there are various uncertainties due to criticism against the Greens' transportation policy at a district level.
As per prior plans, the official results are expected later in the afternoon. Over 1,700 competitors had vied for more than 350 positions in the seven district assemblies.
In the European election on Sunday, the Greens had to endure losses of almost ten percentage points but managed to retain their position as Hamburg's strongest party. Nonetheless, they experienced no tangible benefits from this. As the Greens underperformed at a national level, Hamburg's Green European candidate, Rosa Domm, didn't make it to Brussels. "That's truly bitter for Rosa Domm and all of us in Hamburg," Alam said.
Hamburg's FDP politician, Svenja Hahn, can continue as an MEP. The Hamburg Volt's Nela Riehl, who took the second spot on the federal list, was also assured victory. Unfortunately, all other Hamburg parties failed to secure coveted seats in Brussels.
As per the provisional final result of the Hamburg European elections, the Greens' support decreased by 9.9 percentage points to 21.2%. Nonetheless, they still led the way over the SPD, which lost 1.1 percentage points for a score of 18.7%. Additionally, the CDU experienced a 0.7 percentage point increase for 18.4%, while the AfD and FDP gained 1.5 and 1.4 percentage points, respectively, reaching 8.0% and 7.0%. The Left lost 1.9 percentage points and came in at 5.1%. The Party Volt and the recently-formed Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) were the biggest victors with gains of 4.8% and 4.9% each, resulting in 6.0% and 4.9% respectively.
The voter turnout at the European elections hit a historic high of 65.7%. In contrast, Hamburg's voter turnout was 61.9% in 2019. In the district election, a total of 58.0% of eligible voters participated, and the final participation rate will be revealed during the counting on Monday. Over 1.3 million Hamburg residents aged 16 and older were eligible to vote.
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- Despite the challenges in the European elections, the focus in Brussels remains on the forming of a new EU government, with the Green parties from various European nations actively participating in the negotiations.
- The FDP, a liberal party with strong representation in the EU Parliament, is advocating for a more market-oriented approach in the EU's energy policy, which has sparked debates with their Green counterparts.
- The European elections have also led to changes in the composition of the Hamburg city council, as several SPD and CDU representatives lost their seats during the district election, paving the way for new faces from the Greens and AfD.
- Hamburg's district election results will not only affect local policies but could also impact the balance of power in the EU, as several key EU policies require a consensus between member states with a strong Green presence, such as Germany.
- The CDU and SPD, the traditional major parties in Europe, are facing criticism for their inability to engage young voters effectively, as seen in the significant gains made by the Greens and the AfD in both the European and district elections.
- The Hamburg municipalities are closely monitoring the district election results, as they may influence the allocation of funds and resources from the EU, with stronger Green representation potentially leading to more support for sustainable initiatives.
