Germany's Social Democrats win key regional election
10 Oct 2022 10:09am
Image for illustrative purposes only - 123RF
Exit polls by public broadcasters ARD and ZDF showed the SPD with 32.7 to 33.3 per cent of the votes, a significant drop from 36.9 per cent in the 2017 election.
The regional vote was widely seen as a litmus test for Scholz as he completes his first year in office this December, reported Anadolu Agency.
The Christian Democratic Union was at around 28 per cent, its worst state election result in more than 60 years.
The Greens, on the other hand, almost doubled their tally to grab the third spot with 14 to 14.3 per cent, up from 8.7 per cent five years ago.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) also gained ground, reaching 11.6 per cent to 11.8 per cent, compared to 6.2 per cent in 2017.
The AfD likely benefited from voters’ concerns over Germany’s economic situation as the country grapples with a spiraling inflation and a burgeoning energy crisis.
According to the exit polls, the Free Democrats (FDP) party is struggling to breach the 5 per cent cutoff for entry into the state parliament, after having won 7.5 per cent of votes in the previous election.
Socialist party The Left failed again to hit the 5 per cent mark, finishing at around 2.6 per cent to 2.9 per cent. - BERNAMA
