According to the first projections, the CDU has emerged as the strongest force in the Rhineland-Palatinate state election. CDU’s leading candidate, Gordon Schnieder, celebrated his party’s comeback during a celebratory gathering in Mainz. “The CDU is back in Rhineland‑Palatinate” he said. “This country will no longer be governed in the coming years without us”. He added that he still wants to wait for the final, official numbers.
Predictions from ARD and ZDF average the Christian Democrats at 30.6 % of the vote, with the still‑in‑power SPD following at 26.7 %. This marks the SPD’s worst result in the state’s history, dropping it to second place after 35 years at the helm. Comments from the parties before the vote suggest the outcome will be a grand coalition led by Schnieder.
In third place, the AfD managed to more than double its share, averaging about 20 %. The Greens, currently part of a traffic‑light coalition in Mainz, fall to fourth with 8.0 %. The Free Democratic Party (2.1 %) and the Free Voters (3.8 %) miss the 5 % threshold and will leave the state parliament. The Left also falls short with 4.5 %, and the ‘Others’ average at 4.5 % as well.