Political groups assess EU vote outcomes: Revisiting the K-issue

Voting events - Political groups assess EU vote outcomes: Revisiting the K-issue

Following the decisive win of the CSU in the European elections, political groups in Bavaria need to scrutinize the results and determine possible early actions. With a 39.7% share (barely below their previous results), the CSU has already voiced a desire for a discussion on a potential chancellor candidate. The CSU faction leader in Bavaria's state assembly, Klaus Holetschek, mentioned to the "Augsburger Allgemeine" (Monday edition), "I believe that the conversation around a chancellor candidate will resurface."

Amongst the recent developments, CSU leader Markus Söder indicated that CDU head Friedrich Merz could be the frontrunner for the Union's chancellor bid. "Certainly, a CDU leader is usually the favorite," said Söder during an interview with "Bayerischer Rundfunk," after Merz decisively took over as party chairman with almost 90 percent at the CDU party congress in May. Interestingly, Söder's own poll numbers show better ratings, both among his followers and in the larger population.

At the nationwide level, the CSU secured 6.4% of the votes, according to early calculations. There was hope of increasing its number of European Parliament seats from the current six to seven.

The AfD gained 12.6% (up from 8.5% in the previous elections) in Bavaria, followed by the Greens with 11.8% of the votes (from 19.1% in 2019).

CSU leader Markus Söder perceived the European election outcome as a definitive protest against the existing federal administration, stating on Sunday evening in Munich, "The traffic light has effectively been turned down by the citizens."

Nevertheless, Söder lamented that the national AfD result, in spite of the party's scandals, was too high. This represents a "difficult task" for the CSU. Concerning the Free Voters' performance, Söder remarked that their dreams for influence in Europe and Germany had been dashed, with the party "no longer offering anything in Europe nor in Germany." He urged the Free Voters to focus more on the nation and municipalities.

CSU candidate for the European election, Manfred Weber, viewed Sunday's outcome as a "breathtaking achievement." He declared, "A bourgeois Europe."

As for the Free Voters, party chairman Hubert Aiwanger was pleased that his party could now send a third MEP to Brussels. "Obviously, there's some hype up there, yet I'm glad that we have not failed," Aiwanger stated on Sunday evening on "Bayerischer Rundfunk." "Let's celebrate!"

Out of the 10.4 million people eligible to vote in Bavaria, approximately 220,000 16- and 17-year-olds, who were allowed to vote for the first time due to the lowering of the voting age, participated. In addition to the 9.57 million Germans, about 822,000 people with another EU nationality were eligible to vote in Bavaria.

Read also:

1. The European elections results have put the K-question back on the table for the political groups in European Union member state Bavaria, following the CSU's prominent performance.
2. Markus Söder, the leader of the CSU in Bavaria, suggested that Friedrich Merz, the newly elected CDU party chairman, could be a strong candidate for chancellor in the Union's bid.
3. Klaus Holetschek, the CSU faction leader in Bavaria's state assembly, expressed his belief that talk of a chancellor candidate would resurface after the CSU's victory in the European elections.
4. The recent European elections saw the CSU secure 6.4% of the votes, just short of their goal of increasing their European Parliament seats from six to seven.
5. Although the CSU gained significantly, the AfD saw an even larger increase in Bavaria, with 12.6% of the votes (up from 8.5% in the previous elections).
6. In Munich, CSU leader Markus Söder noted that the European election outcome represented a clear protest against the federal administration, as citizens had "effectively turned down the traffic light."
7. Söder expressed his concerns over the high AfD result and the challenge it posed for the CSU, despite the party's ongoing scandals.
8. Hubert Aiwanger, the leader of the Free Voters (FW) party, expressed his satisfaction with his party's third MEP being sent to Brussels, despite the party's reduced influence in Europe and Germany.
9. Approximately 220,000 16- and 17-year-olds in Bavaria, who were first-time voters due to the lowering of the voting age, took part in the European elections.
10. In addition to the 9.57 million Germans and about 822,000 residents of Bavaria with another EU nationality, around 822,000 people were eligible to vote in the European elections, showcasing the diversity of the region.

• Tough return to normality in snow and ice
• Steinmeier joined a moment of silence - a legal battle over an AfD protest.
• German national soccer team on their way to participate in the European Championship qualifying matches.
• The flooding has lessened, but the aftermath of mud remains.