Stuttgart's Headlines: New Developments - Move to the right in the southwestern region.
The far-right political party, AfD, has significantly increased its vote share across the southwestern region of Germany in the recent European elections. The party achieved its strongest result in the Pforzheim city district with 23.2% of the votes, as revealed by the Statistical Office in Fellbach near Stuttgart on Monday. In the small community of Spiegelberg in the Rems-Murr district, the AfD garnered a remarkable 29.7% of the votes. This means it outperformed the CDU there. Other political representatives have shown concern about the increasing influence of the right-wing populists.
The results of the election demonstrate that left-wing and green policies are no longer favored by the public, claimed AfD state chairman Markus Frohnmaier during a press conference in Stuttgart on Monday. He accused CDU state chairman Manuel Hagel of continuing to ally with the Greens through Minister President Winfried Kretschmann. "The Union should pave the way for us to hold a state election in Baden-Württemberg sooner rather than later," he stated.
The CDU emerged victorious in the European election in Baden-Württemberg, while the Greens endured a considerable setback. The Christian Democrats garnered 32.0% of the votes, while the Greens only managed 13.8% and slid into third place. The AfD came in second with 14.7%. Despite the numerous negative headlines about potential connections between AfD candidates and Russia and China, the party still managed to attain this result. The SPD acquired 11.6% of the votes, the FDP 6.8%. The newly formed "Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht" (BSW) secured 4.5%.
The high-profile constituency of Minister President Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) was the Sigmaringen district, where the CDU scored its best result of 41.7%. The worst performance for the CDU was in the Freiburg im Breisgau city district at 15.4%.
On the contrary, the Greens lost in all the 44 city and county districts. In the Freiburg im Breisgau city district, they achieved their highest vote share of 30.3%, while their lowest was in the Neckar-Odenwald district with 7.6%. The SPD reached its best result of 16.5% in the Mannheim city district but had its worst showing in the Biberach district with 7.5%. The FDP achieved an optimal result of 8.9% in the Reutlingen district but suffered most in the Neckar-Odenwald district with 4.4%.
The voter turnout in the Tübingen district was the highest, totaling 71.8%. In Pforzheim, it was the lowest at 55.3%. There are 44 city and county districts in the southwest of Germany. Overall, voter turnout amounted to 66.4%, slightly higher than the previous years' 64.0% rate.
The results of the municipal elections are yet to be revealed. On Monday, shortly after the municipal and European elections in Baden-Württemberg, initial outcomes for city councils, local councils, and district councils were expected. Most cities were still counting the municipal elections on Monday. The state ministry is scheduled to announce the overall results on Tuesday.
Early estimates from the three largest cities in the state suggest that the Greens will suffer losses in the municipal council elections as well as in the European elections. According to SWR forecasts, the losses in Stuttgart, Karlsruhe, and Mannheim will not be as significant as expected. Historically, parties often differ in their performances on urban and rural landscapes in this region.
The CDU could become the most powerful force in Stuttgart and Mannheim, as per the predictions. In Karlsruhe, the Greens are expected to maintain their position despite incurring losses. The AfD is also speculated to have made progress compared to its past results. Voter turnout is also predicted to have increased in the three major cities during the municipal elections.
Municipal politics is more connected to citizens' daily lives. In the municipal elections, municipal councils in 1,101 towns and municipalities, district councils in the 35 districts, and members of the regional assembly in the Stuttgart region are elected. The term in office for the regional assembly lasts for five years. Approximately 8.6 million people were eligible to vote in total.
The municipal council acts as the representative body in a community, initiating laws, supervising the mayor and administration, and drafting the budget. The municipality governs decisions affecting aspects of daily life such as the frequency of bus services, the cost of attending a swimming pool, where and when new homes are built, and what schools are renovated. Kindergartens are largely run by municipalities, and these decisions can be more immediate and tangible for citizens than national laws. Update: The municipal and district council results are being released incrementally. The CDU has secured a substantial increase in terms of votes in contrast to the last elections. The AfD has further strengthened their position, which was already strong in some areas, whereas the Greens have taken a hit. As for the state assembly, the CDU is expected to remain in power, but with more votes. The increase in turnout is also a key observation.
Data on the European elections from within the Interior Ministry Data on the municipal elections from the State Center for Political Education Outcomes of the 2019 European elections in Baden-Württemberg Outcomes of the 2019 municipal elections in Baden-Württemberg Data display from the State Statistical Office on the European elections Information from the Interior Ministry on the municipal elections
