CDU reacts as projections show governing parties punished in Hesse poll
39 views · Published 3 November 2018 · 2:47 · Indexed 5 October 2026
Channel: AP Archive · 2018 · News & Politics
(28 Oct 2018) Germany's governing parties lost significant support in a state election Sunday marked by discontent with infighting in the national government, according to projections. Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives were in the lead in the vote for the central region of Hesse's state legislature. Her center-left governing partners were on course for a dismal result, running neck-and-neck with the Greens for second place. Merkel's conservative Christian Democratic Union was defending its 19-year hold on Hesse, previously a stronghold of the centre-left Social Democrats, the chancellor's federal coalition partners in Berlin. There has been widespread speculation that a disastrous result for either or both parties could further destabilize the national government and, ultimately, Merkel's own position. Projections for ARD and ZDF public television, based on exit polls and partial counting, gave the CDU 27-28 percent support and the center-left Social Democrats about 20 percent. When Hesse last elected its state legislature in 2013, they won 38.3 and 30.7 percent, respectively. That would be the worst result in the region for the Social Democrats since World War II. There were gains for the Greens, who were roughly level with Social Democrats at nearly 20 percent — compared with 11.1 percent five years ago. And the far-right Alternative for Germany was on course to enter the last of Germany's 16 state parliaments with more than 12 percent. The pro-business Free Democrats were seen winning around 7 percent and the Left Party 6.5 percent. Voters have appeared generally satisfied with conservative governor Volker Bouffier's outgoing state government. It was the first coalition between the CDU and the traditionally left-leaning Greens to last a full parliamentary term, and an unexpectedly harmonious alliance. But only the Greens, who are in opposition nationally, benefited at the polls. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/dcaa44ba4142a27a548da278eb69d209
