Ruling Party Victory in Final Regional Election Ahead of German General Election: "Revival of Merkel's Party"

Exit Poll Results for Saxony-Anhalt State Parliament Election
Merkel's CDU Expected to Win with 37% Vote Share
Far-Right AfD Trails at 22%, Projected Second Place
Spiegel: "Merkel's Conservative Forces Effectively Revived"

Reiner Haseloff, the current governor of Saxony-Anhalt from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU)
[Photo by Reuters]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] Ahead of the German federal Bundestag general election, the ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU), to which German Chancellor Angela Merkel belongs, is expected to win the last state parliament election held in Saxony-Anhalt. As a result, there is an analysis that the CDU has gained momentum in the election landscape, with evaluations that Chancellor Merkel's party has revived ahead of the German general election.

According to the German public broadcaster ARD on the 6th (local time), exit polls from the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament election forecasted that the CDU would win with 37% of the vote.

The far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) came in second with 22%. The Left Party is expected to receive 11%, the Social Democratic Party (SPD) 8%, and the Green Party 6% respectively.

As a result, Reiner Haseloff, the current governor from the CDU, will begin his third term. Additionally, Governor Haseloff will be able to form a coalition government with other centrist parties excluding the AfD, as originally planned.

This election was recognized as a significant one that could influence the direction of the federal election in September, as it was the last local election before the German federal parliamentary election. In particular, concerns arose that the far-right party might take control of the state parliament, as recent polls showed AfD leading in the conservative-leaning Saxony-Anhalt.

In response, CDU leader Armin Laschet warned ahead of the Saxony-Anhalt election, saying, "We must protect democracy from the far-right party," expressing caution about the rise of the AfD.

In this election, while the AfD is expected to receive 22% of the vote, down from 24% in the 2016 election, the CDU gained higher support at 37%, up from 30% in the previous election, allowing Germany's centrist conservative forces to breathe a sigh of relief.

Oliver Kirchner, the representative member of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party with far-right tendencies in Saxony-Anhalt [Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Deutsche Welle analyzed that "the rise of the AfD has been halted."

It is evaluated that the CDU, led by Laschet, is expected to win with a vote share exceeding not only the previous election results but also the polling support rate (30%), gaining momentum ahead of the upcoming general election.

German media Der Spiegel reported on the election results, stating that "the conservative forces associated with Chancellor Merkel have effectively been revived."

On the other hand, the opposition Green Party, which ranks first or second nationwide in support along with the CDU, recorded the lowest vote share among major parties in the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament election amid a slight decline in recent support. The Green Party's vote share this election (6%) increased by only 1% compared to the previous election (5%).

Earlier this year, the Green Party's support surged, at one point surpassing the ruling party to rank first nationwide. However, as the general election approached, criticism of the Green Party's radical energy policies grew, and allegations surfaced that leader Annalena Baerbock failed to report bonuses received from the party, causing nationwide support to drop to second place behind the ruling party.

Anna-Lena Baerbock, Leader of the Green Party
[Photo by AP News]

After the exit poll results were announced, Green Party leader Annalena Baerbock said, "I wanted to gain higher support, but I could not," adding, "Conservative voters rallied around the CDU to prevent an AfD victory."

Former CDU parliamentary leader Friedrich Merz sharply commented, "Today, Baerbock's train has derailed."