Upcoming European voting events - In North Rhine-Westphalia, the CDU continues to lead while the AfD experiences significant growth.
The CDU has emerged as the most powerful force not only in North Rhine-Westphalia but also nationwide in the European elections. The state election officer revealed that the party secured 31.2% in the most populous federal state, a notable improvement from the 27.9% they achieved in 2019. The AfD also witnessed a surge in votes.
Wust sees a message for the traffic light: "Stop fighting"
CDU's state party chairman and Minister President Hendrik Wust was ecstatic, particularly delighted that the CDU in NRW surpassed the national average of 30.2% (as of 23:46 hours). He celebrated with many supporters at the Düsseldorf party headquarters. During his speech, Wust acknowledged that this is a "great success" and a confirmation of the center's course. In addition, he believes this should serve as a wake-up call to the traffic light coalition, which needs to "stop arguing" and "make politics for the people in this country."
North Rhine-Westphalia's SPD experiences its worst European election result
The SPD finished second with 17.2%, a stark drop compared to the previous 19.2% from 2019. Thedouble-headed SPD leadership in NRW, Sarah Philipp and Achim Post, acknowledged their "clear defeat" and vowed to learn from it for upcoming municipal and federal elections. Post stressed: "We cannot simply ignore this election result. It's dangerous if the right-wing extremists receive more votes than the Social Democrats."
The SPD now trails in many "red" Ruhr area cities
The former strongholds of the SPD, the Ruhr area, have seen the CDU overtake the party and become the top choice in many cities: Bottrop, Bochum, Duisburg, Gelsenkirchen, Oberhausen, and Unna. While the SPD is still winning in Herne with 23.9%, the ruling party of Borken, where Minister President Wust is from, has become darker with 45.7% (compared to 41.5% in 2019).
Greens see a significant drop in NRW
The Greens in NRW have experienced a significant decline, falling below their best result in 2019 (23.2%), and consequently, sliding from second to third place. State chairwoman Yazgülü Zeybek admitted the party failed to address voters' concerns and convey that efforts for a sustainable prosperity and security pay off. "We will work on this," she vowed.
Dortmund and Wuppertal experience a change
The CDU has replaced the Greens as the top party in Dortmund and Wuppertal.
A key city like Cologne saw the Green Party retain its leading position but with a decline from 32.9% to 24.3%.
AfD experiences a notable increase from 8.5% to 12.6%
The AfD's impressive jump from 8.5% to 12.6% is a reflection of the party hitting the right notes for their voters, remarked Martin Vincentz, state party and parliamentary leader of the AfD. Despite facing adverse situations and heated campaigning, the AfD's "strong result" stands out. Gelsenkirchen even saw the party's approval rating surge to 21.7%. The lowest approval for the AfD is in Münster, where they only managed 4.8%.
Concern about the rise of the AfD
Wust expressed worry over the AfD's escalating presence after the elections, with projections showing the AfD entering second place at the federal level with a 15.9% vote share. However, he was relieved that "the overwhelming majority has rejected the fantasies of extremists."
BSW could send Thomas Geisel to the European Parliament
The FDP finished with 6.3% (slight drop from 6.7% in 2019) and the recently-formed Left Bloc (BSW) received 4.4%, indicating a strong possibility of sending former Duesseldorf Mayor Thomas Geisel to the European Parliament.
FDP's steady performance
FDP's state party and parliamentary leader Henning Hoene acknowledged the results were not ideal but overall, a respectable outcome for his party. "Considering the difficult circumstances, we have managed to stabilize ourselves. We attracted almost as many voter votes as five years ago." The party will be well-represented in Europe with lead candidate Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann and state party general secretary Moritz Köner.
Voter turnout improves slightly
Voter turnout increased slightly by 2 percentage points to 63.4% in North Rhine-Westphalia. The highest turnout was observed in Münster (74.3%). The lowest turnout occurred in Gelsenkirchen (52.3%).
Detailed information on voter turnout and election results in the European elections in Germany can be found on the IT.NRW Election Dashboard. In addition, the NRW State Election Officer has released preliminary results, albeit results of the overall election in 2024 are not available yet.
[Note: The AfD's approval rating in Gelsenkirchen can vary compared to the current data provided in the original text.]
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The CDU's lead in North Rhine-Westphalia is also reflected nationwide in the European elections, with a 30.2% share as of 23:46 hours.
The AfD's growth in votes is not unique to North Rhine-Westphalia; projections suggest they could enter second place at the federal level with a 15.9% vote share.
The CDU's state party chairman and Minister President Hendrik Wust attributes the party's success to a confirmation of the center's course and a wake-up call for the traffic light coalition.
The SPD's double-headed leadership in NRW, Sarah Philipp and Achim Post, acknowledges their "clear defeat" and vows to learn from it for upcoming elections, emphasizing the danger of right-wing extremists gaining more votes.
The CDU has overtaken the SPD in many "red" Ruhr area cities like Bottrop, Bochum, Duisburg, Gelsenkirchen, Oberhausen, and Unna, while the SPD still leads in Herne with 23.9%.
The Greens' failure to address voters' concerns and convey the benefits of sustainable prosperity and security has led to a significant drop in NRW, causing them to slide from second to third place.
The SPD's key city, Cologne, saw a decline in approval, with the Green Party retaining its leading position but with a decrease from 32.9% to 24.3%.
Despite facing adverse situations and heated campaigning, the AfD's "strong result" in North Rhine-Westphalia reflects their success in hitting the right notes for their voters, with Gelsenkirchen showing the party's approval rating surge to 21.7%.
The FDP has managed to stabilize itself and retain a respectable outcome despite a slight drop in votes from 6.7% to 6.3% in the European elections, ensuring a strong representation in Europe with lead candidate Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann and state party general secretary Moritz Köner.
