Germany: Merz's CDU comes out on top in Lower Saxony polls

The Christian Democrats have emerged as the strongest party at local elections in the state of Lower Saxony. The vote was closely watched as an indicator of the strength of the far-right AfD, which came in third.

The conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has remained the strongest force at district level in the northwestern state of Lower Saxony following local elections there, preliminary results released on Monday show.

The elections on Sunday received an unusual degree of attention, as they were seen as a gauge of support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) following its landslide win in state elections in Saxony-Anhalt last week.

The elections were to choose mayors, district administrations and local councils in the state.

What were the election results in Lower Saxony?

In what will doubtless be a relief for under-pressure Chancellor Friedrich Merz, his CDU came in first with 27.2% of the vote, slightly down on the 31.7% it reached in the last local elections in Lower Saxony in 2021.

The Social Democrats (SPD), who lead a coalition government at state level, were in second place with 24.6% support, a sharp drop from the 30% achieved in 2021.

The AfD followed with 15.9%, more than tripling its result in 2021.

The Greens, who are the junior coalition partners at state level, were on 14.1%, compared with 15.9% in 2021.

The Left party and the Free Democrats (FDP) brought up the tail with 6% and 3.7% respectively.

High turnout in Lower Saxony

Some 6.3 million people were eligible to take part in the elections, which saw a turnout of 64.6%, well up on the 57% participation at the 2021 polls.

Any run-off elections will take place across the state on September 27.

The poll in Lower Saxony was seen not only as a test of public sentiment ahead of state elections next year but also as a barometer of how the AfD is currently faring in western German states, where the far-right party has less support than in the east.

The elections in the state come just a week before the next state polls in the eastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the city-state of Berlin.

The vote in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern will be under especially close scrutiny, with the AfD expected to make strong gains while the CDU is polling at just 7%.

Edited by: Natalie Muller

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