Photo: Depositphotos
Berlin, 23 February 2025 – The early Bundestag elections held on Sunday (23 February) showed unexpected results. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party showed the best results in all eastern German states, while the CDU/CSU conservatives traditionally won in the west. This was reported by Deutsche Welle (DW).
AfD wins victory in eastern Germany
“Alternative for Germany, which traditionally has strong positions in the eastern states, took first place in these regions:
– Brandenburg
– Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
– Saxony
– Saxony-Anhalt
– Thuringia
In each of these states, the AfD won between 30% and 40% of thevote. The conservative CDU/CSU bloc finished in second place, and the third position was taken by various other parties in different regions:
– The centre-left Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD)
– The left-wing populist Sarah Wagenknecht Union (FDP)
– The Left Party
CDU/CSU conservatives dominate the west
The CDU/CSU conservatives under Friedrich Merz won in most West German states. The party was the leader in the following federal states:
– Baden-Württemberg – 32.8% .
– Hesse
– Lower Saxony
– North Rhine-Westphalia – 32.5%.
– Rhineland-Palatinate – 31.8% .
– Saarland
– Schleswig-Holstein
In Bavaria, the CDU’s partner, the Christian Social Union (CSU), got the bestresult with 37.1% of the vote.
Left-wing parties win in big cities
In Germany’s largest cities, left-wing political forces gained the upper hand:
– Berlin:
– Left Party – 20.3%.
– CDU – 17.7 PER CENT
– Soyuz 90/Greens – 16.1%.
– AdH – 16.1%.
– Bremen:
– SPD – 23.1 PER CENT
– CDU – 20.5 PER CENT
– Green – 15.6 per cent
– Hamburg:
– SPD – 22.7 PER CENT
– CDU – 20.8 PER CENT
– Greens – 19.3%.
What do these results mean for Germany?
These elections showed the growing influence of extreme right-wing forces in the eastern regions of Germany and the traditional support of conservatives in the west. The rise of the Alternative for Germany is a cause for concern among the democratic parties, especially given their anti-immigration and Eurosceptic views.
At the same time, the success of left-wing parties in large cities indicates that progressive voters in megacities remain strong, particularly on socially important issues such as climate change and human rights.
Germany is now facing new political challenges, and forming a coalition in the Bundestag promises to be difficult.
