Political bell in Germany: In the local elections of North Rhine-Westphalia, the country’s most populous state with 18 million inhabitants, the government’s parties in Berlin, including the Chancellor’s CDU. Friedrich Mertzthey suffered significant deterioration on their electoral base.
According to estimates by the Infratest-Dimap Institute in Germany on the WDR public network, Friedrich Mertz’s CDU garnered 34% (-0.3 compared to previous elections), but recedes. The SPD, a coalition government partner and sometimes dominant in this industrial area, slide 22.5% (-1.8), recording the worst result since the foundation of the state in 1946.
The big surprise came from the AfD, which tripled its percentage reaching 16.5% (+11.4), confirming that its influence is spreading beyond its traditional foundations in the East. The Greens recede significantly to 11.5% (-8.5), while the left passes the threshold of the electoral measure with 5.5% (+1.7).
A difficult test for Chancellor Mertz
This match, as the first electoral test for the Mertz government, weakens the government coalition and increases the pressure on the Chancellor, who had been elected by the promise of an “autumn reforms”. Between internal disputes and economic stagnation, the government finds it difficult to persuade. Its program includes controversial social changes as well as a huge € 500 billion investment plan for infrastructure, with the aim of recovering and modernizing the economy.
However, concern about the industrial future of the region – affected by the closure of coal mine, competition from China and US duties – supplies the rise of the far -right. AFD takes advantage of these fears by expanding its audience in the heart of workers’ Germany in cities such as Duisburg, Dortmund and Essen.
A worrying signal for Berlin, which sees the anti-immigrant opposition now established up to the core of the country’s “rusty zone”.