A little over two and a half weeks after the state election in Rhineland-Palatinate, the CDU and SPD concluded their exploratory talks regarding a coalition government. On Wednesday in Mainz, CDU top candidate Gordon Schnieder and current Minister-President Alexander Schweitzer (SPD) announced that these talks resulted in an agreement to enter formal coalition negotiations. If these negotiations are successful, it would establish a black-red coalition government in Rhineland-Palatinate, a first for the state. In this scenario, Schnieder would take the role of chief minister. During the election, the CDU once again emerged as the strongest force with 31.0 percent, marking the first such result since 1987. The SPD, however, lost nearly ten percentage points compared to the election five years prior, recording its worst result in Rhineland-Palatinate history at 25.9 percent. Nevertheless, there are currently no realistic alternative options to forming a large coalition.
CDU SPD Negotiate Coalition Talks in Rhineland-Palatinate
