EU elections: Traffic Light parties learn from CDU/CSU's victory, with AfD in second position.
In the anticipated outcome in Germany, a pan-European pattern is mirrored: the fortification of right-wing forces, which now leads to the split-up of the French parliament and subsequently triggers new elections. The AfD managed the largest upgrade among the represented German parties in the European Parliament in spite of a campaign tainted by scandals.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz's (SPD) administration perceived the vote, hailed as a vital pointer approximately a year prior to federal elections, as discouraging. The total vote share of the coalition parties hovers marginally above 30%.
CDU leader Friedrich Merz professed a "last warning" for the "traffic light" (SPD, Greens, and FDP) coalition. Their policies are detrimental to the nation, he iterated. CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann pleaded with Scholz to incite a confidence vote in the Bundestag. CSU leader Markus Söder stated: "The 'traffic light' is essentially repudiated."
Approximations by ARD and ZDF expose the Union as the top-ranking entity with 30.1 to 30.3 percent (EU Election 2019: 28.9%). The AfD accomplished its most distinguished outcome at European elections with 16 to 16.2 percent, though remained significantly less than the values they vindicated a couple of months earlier in surveys (2019: 11.0%).
The SPD diverted its worst result in European elections with 13.9 to 14.0 percent (2019: 15.8%). The Greens eroded from their record outcome of 2019 (20.5%) to only 11.9% option. The FDP concluded at 4.9 to 5.0 percent (2019: 5.4%). The five percent threshold does not apply to European elections to procure parliamentary entry.
Former Left Party politician Sahra Wagenknecht accomplished 5.9 to 6.0 percent with her party-founding BSW from scratch - which surpassed the Left Party. This acquired 2.7 to 2.8 percent, surface-level with the pro-European minor party Volt. Wagenknecht branded the BSW result "phenomenal".
Courtesy of the absence of a threshold clause, minor parties can also expect positions in the European Parliament. In addition to Volt, this comprises the Free Voters, as well as the groups The Party, the Animal Protection Party, the Family Party, and the ODP.
AfD leader Alice Weidel delighted at the escalation of her party: "We must grips onto the fact that following a rocky initiation in the election campaign, we conduced exceptionally well in the final sprint." In Eastern Germany, the AfD was the foremost entity, according to the projections. In Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg, state elections will occur in September.
The Ampel parties conceded their failures. SPD leader Lars Klingbeil categorized the outcome as "frustrating". General Secretary Kevin Kühnert underscored that there was no justification for a personnel dispute about Chancellor Scholz: "It would be glaringly poor form to now pin this on only one person." Klingbeil stated, the election was "not a vote on the federal chancellor".
Greens leader Omid Nouripour expressed unease that his party had lost mostly support among voters under 30 years of age. Given that climate protection was less focused in the campaign this time, he underscored: "Climate is not the nucleus of the Greens, but for mankind."
FDP lead candidate Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann communicated resignation that her party had exclusively lost slightly. She termed the result "encouraging".
Voter turnout witnessed a substantial enhancement compared to the EU election in 2019 - based on ARD and ZDF, it reached 64 to 65 percent. Half a decade ago, it was at 61.4 percent. For the very first time in Germany, 16- and 17-year-olds were granted the right to vote.
