PoliticoAngela Merkel’s losses in two German state polls could shape federal politics
- Scandals and pandemic frustration threaten to shut Germany’s Christian Democrats out of power
- Germany will hold a national election in September with Merkel’s exit looming
This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Matthew Karnitschnig on politico.eu on March 15, 2021.
A collapse in support for Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats in two regional elections on Sunday signalled that a widening corruption scandal and missteps during the pandemic may threaten the party’s hold on power in a national election this September.
The centre-right party suffered its worst-ever results in both Baden-Wuerttemberg, home to much of the country’s auto industry, as well as in Rhineland-Palatinate, a small western state bordering France where Helmut Kohl made his name.
The Christian Democratic Union (CDU), often described as Germany’s last remaining Volkspartei, or big-tent party, lost about 15 per cent of its support compared to the previous election in 2016 in both states, a historic decline that party leaders made no effort to sugarcoat.
“One has to be honest about it, the CDU recorded a disastrous result,” said Susanne Eisenmann, the CDU’s lead candidate in Baden-Wuerttemberg, of her loss.
As expected, the big winner of the night was the Green Party, which held on to first place in Baden-Wuerttemberg, and nearly doubled its result in Rhineland-Palatinate to finish third.