Carsten Linnemann, the CDU’s secretary‑general, told ARD that he would not yet admit his party’s defeat in the early polls for the Baden‑Württemberg state election. He said the first full projections were still awaited. Linnemann also pointed out that the margin shown by the ZDF poll was only about one percentage point.
Meanwhile the Greens celebrated, as both the ARD and ZDF figures placed them in the lead. Former Greens leader Ricarda Lang told ARD that she felt “overwhelmed” and that the party was offering the Union the possibility of a centre‑cohesive coalition.
For the SPD, which still fears missing out on seats in the state parliament, secretary‑general Tim Klüßendorf described the result as “very bitter”. He noted that the momentum over the past weeks had been felt, but that the party had now “completely fallen behind”. He now wants to turn his attention to the upcoming Rhineland‑Palatinate election in two weeks.