"As polls closed in the municipal vote across North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's most populous state, initial forecasts showed the center-right party of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz set for victory but the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) also has reasons to celebrate. Merz's CDU is set to take around 34% of the vote, followed by center-left SPD, with 22.5%, and the far-right AfD, with 16.5% over three times more than the 5.1% the party secured in 2020."
"The AfD has made historic gains in recent years, becoming the second-strongest political force at the national level. Although its voter base is mainly from states in eastern Germany, the AfD is hoping to capitalize on the shift toward the right in western Germany. Below you can follow DW's coverage of the local election in North Rhine-Westphalia and other news from Germany on Sunday, September 14:"
"Barbel Bas, the co-chairperson of the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), said she is disappointed at her party's showing in local elections in North Rhine-Westphalia on Sunday. Bas, who is also the federal Labor Minister, acknowledged to regional public broadcaster WDR that the party was unable to "stop the downward trend." "The results do not make me happy, of course," she added."
Initial forecasts show the center-right CDU leading municipal elections in North Rhine-Westphalia with about 34%, followed by the SPD at 22.5% and the far-right AfD at 16.5%, a more-than-threefold increase from 5.1% in 2020. Voter participation was slightly higher by midday than in 2020. These were the first local elections since Chancellor Friedrich Merz took office in May. The AfD has grown into the second-strongest force nationally and aims to expand beyond its eastern German base into western states. SPD co-leader Barbel Bas expressed disappointment and cited an inability to stop a downward trend.
Read at www.dw.com
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