Düsseldorf,Germany – In local elections held today,the christian Democratic Union (CDU) remained the largest party in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW),Germany’s most populous state with approximately 18 million inhabitants. Though, the elections saw significant gains for the Alternative for Germany (AfD), marking a historic victory for the party and raising concerns among established political forces.
A total of 13.7 million residents cast ballots for new municipal councils, mayors, and regional administrators, with a turnout of 56.5 percent - the highest since 1994 and substantially up from 2020.While the CDU maintained its led, the AfD secured a notable increase in support, becoming the second-largest party in NRW. These elections were the first major vote since Friedrich Merz assumed the CDU chancellorship.
The results are causing “headaches for the parties in the middle,” according to Charlotte Waaijers, correspondent for Germany.”Even though the Christian Democrats and Social Democrats do not suffer large losses and they remain the two largest parties, they also remain hanging around a historic low point.”
Historically a stronghold for the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the industrial workers of the Ruhr area, NRW is now witnessing a shift in voter allegiance. The AfD’s gains are attributed to a combination of factors, including dissatisfaction with high housing costs, infrastructure issues, and a perceived lack of economic opportunity in a state formerly defined by coal and steel industries.
“North Rhine-Westphalia is a state formed by coal and steel, and the heyday of that industry is over,” waaijers noted. “The SPD will be bothering that workers who traditionally sought resort to them are now doing more and more at the AfD, a party that has usually not yet ruled.”
Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst of the CDU stated that “the voters in NRW want a pragmatic and solution-oriented policy from the middle.” Despite the CDU’s continued dominance, the AfD’s growth – described by Waaijers as becoming “a clearly established party with a triple in a place where she previously had trouble getting a foothold” – signals a significant change in the political landscape of the state and possibly foreshadows broader national trends. The AfD is now nationally recognized by the Interior Security Service as an extreme right-wing party.