"Voters in North Rhine-Westphalia head to the polls on Sunday for municipal elections across the state. The poll is the first local election since Chancellor Friedrich Merz took office in May. The vote is being seen as a gauge of Merz's coalition government, which is made up of his conservative CDU/CSU alliance and the center-left SPD. Observers will also be closely watching the performance of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) which has been classified as "right-wing extremist" by the country's domestic intelligence agency."
"The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) hopes to gain ground in today's regional election in North Rhine-Westphalia with the outcome also seen as a litmus test for the federal government led by moderate conservative Friedrich Merz. Chancellor Merz is backed by the ruling coalition comprised of his own Christian Democrats (CDU), the Bavaria-based conservative CSU, and center-left Social Democrats (SDP). The CDU is expected to lose some seats to the AfD"
Municipal elections in North Rhine-Westphalia produced initial projections showing the center-right CDU set for victory while the far-right AfD made gains. Voter participation was slightly higher by midday compared with the 2020 local elections. The vote was the first local election since Chancellor Friedrich Merz took office in May and served as a gauge for his CDU/CSU–SPD coalition. The AfD, classified as "right-wing extremist" by domestic intelligence, has recorded historic gains nationally and hopes to expand its base from eastern to western Germany. The CDU is expected to lose some seats to the AfD.
Read at www.dw.com
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