The CSU is ahead in the state elections in Bavaria, but the joy is limited. Prime Minister Söder wants to continue the alliance with the Free Voters. The AfD jumps to second place.
Prime Minister Markus Söder’s CSU has clearly become the strongest force in the state elections in Bavaria – with the worst result in more than 70 years. According to projections, the biggest gains in the vote were made by the AfD, which is expected to become the second strongest force in parliament. For the first time, the Free Voters in Germany won direct mandates in a state election.
Despite the rather weak result, Söder sees a clear government mandate for his CSU. He announced that he wanted to continue the coalition with the Free Voters – but he rejected the Greens. He wants to hold the first discussions this week. Free Voters leader Hubert Aiwanger said they didn’t want to allow any ambiguities to arise, but would rather make things “clear” within a few days.
The Greens are losing support and are in a race with the Free Voters for third place. The SPD, meanwhile, is heading for its historically weakest result in a Bavarian election. The FDP is likely to miss re-entry into the state parliament.
This is what the numbers look like
According to the projections, the CSU comes to 36.6 to 36.7 percent. This means that the party, which has been the head of government in the Free State for 65 years, falls below its disastrous result from 2018 (37.2 percent). At that time it had fallen by more than ten points. The Free Voters who co-govern improved significantly to 14.8 to 15.3 percent (2018: 11.6).
The Greens lost 14.8 to 15.4 percent and did not come close to their record result of 17.6 percent from 2018. The AfD gains strongly to 15.9 to 16.2 percent (10.2). The SPD, on the other hand, only achieved a meager 7.9 percent (9.7). The FDP flies out of parliament with 2.8 to 2.9 percent (5.1). Voter turnout is reported to be 72.4 to 76.0 percent; In 2018 it was 72.4 percent.
According to projections, the CSU will receive 83 to 84 seats in the state parliament. The Free Voters have 33 to 34 seats and the Greens have 33 to 35 seats. The AfD gets 36 seats, the SPD 18.
Söder: Results require different migration policies
CSU boss Söder sees the results of the state elections in Bavaria and Hesse as a mandate for a different migration policy. “For me, the consequences – and this is the most important thing of all from this election result – are the national task of turning migration policy around, of a pact against uncontrolled immigration,” said Bavaria’s Prime Minister on Sunday evening on ZDF’s “heute journal”. “That, I believe, is the real task that we can ultimately draw from the two state elections.”
In the ARD “Tagesthemen” the CSU leader said: “We see the AfD as a right-wing extremist party.” You shouldn’t run after the AfD now, but you have to solve problems. A different migration policy is therefore needed quickly. “Then you can significantly reduce the AfD.”
Söder also saw the affair surrounding an anti-Semitic leaflet, the focus of which was Free Voters leader Hubert Aiwanger in the election campaign, as a reason for the CSU’s performance: “Before this leaflet affair, we were significantly higher,” he said on ZDF.
“Clear mission to the CSU and to me personally”
Söder also sees himself personally confirmed. “It was never about a beauty prize, but about a clear government mandate,” commented Söder on ARD about the first forecast, according to which the CSU is at 37 percent – far ahead of all other parties, but by historical standards one of the worst CSU results since 1949.
“This clear government mandate is to the CSU,” said Söder. “And I can say this: As I have seen that over 60 percent in Bavaria are of the opinion that this Prime Minister is also doing a good job, there is also a clear mandate for the CSU and me personally to create a strong and stable government for and in To form Bavaria.”
CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann is also very satisfied with the performance of the CDU and CSU in the state elections. “Markus Söder ran a great election campaign,” said Linnemann on ARD about the CSU leader. This now has a government mandate in Bavaria.
The chairman of the CSU state group in the Bundestag, Alexander Dobrindt, sees a clear government mandate for the CSU based on the forecasts for the Bavarian state elections. “The coalition has been confirmed,” said Dobrindt on ARD. The CSU has been able to make further gains in the past few weeks. “And that’s why the government mandate clearly lies with the CSU.” Dobrindt spoke of a good result.
Kühnert: Bitter evening for the SPD
SPD General Secretary Kevin Kühnert sees the results of the state elections as bitter for his party and for the traffic light coalition. “We are expressly not the election winners this evening,” said Kühnert on ZDF. The three parties in the traffic light coalition would have lost in both federal states.
“We should all recognize the signals together in the traffic light coalition: There is also a message for us in this election result,” said Kühnert. He said on ARD that one must recognize that “the general mood is weighing on people’s minds and that more orientation is needed.”
SPD leader Lars Klingbeil also admits his party’s poor performance in the state elections. “These are two defeats for the SPD,” he said on ARD. “We fought for something different, I hoped for something different.” “We will now process the result,” announced Klingbeil.
According to its top candidate, Florian von Brunn, the SPD’s election campaign themes “played almost no role” in Bavaria. They did not manage to make their own issues the dominant ones in the election campaign. His party’s result in the state elections in Bavaria was a “disappointment”.
Nouripour: Greens stable
The Green’s top candidate in the state elections in Bavaria, Ludwig Hartmann, is satisfied with his party’s result. It was the second best in its history in a state election in Bavaria – although there had been a “very heated election campaign,” he said on Sunday evening. “The Greens have a very strong foundation in Bavaria, even if the wind is a little stronger in their faces.”
It makes him think that there is currently a certain shift to the right in Bavaria, said Hartmann. Markus Söder has actually brought populism back to Bavaria, “which has also strengthened the AfD,” he criticized. Nevertheless, Hartmann emphasized that he was ready for talks.
The Green Party leader Omid Nouripour describes his party’s election results in the state elections as stable. The Greens hoped to become the second strongest force in both elections, Nouripour said on ARD. The Greens stand for responsibility. According to forecasts, his party has lost.
Free voters with a plus despite the leaflet affair
Free Voters leader Hubert Aiwanger is satisfied with the first forecast for the Bavarian state elections. “14 percent would be quite good,” said Bavaria’s deputy prime minister on Bayerischer Rundfunk shortly after the polls closed. He assumes that the value for the Free Voters will continue to rise, but it is already an excellent result. “We are satisfied,” he said.
Aiwanger wants to remain economics minister in Bavaria in a new government. “I think I have done a good job here and I would like to continue it,” said Aiwanger on Bavarian Radio television.
After their success in the Bavarian state elections, Hubert Aiwanger sees his Free Voters as a “people’s party” and is striving for higher things. “Of course, this wave must not stop at the Bavarian borders,” he said on Sunday evening at his party’s election party in Munich. “We will also rock the country in the European elections next year.” And if the Free Voters continue to work “diligently” – “then entry into the German Bundestag is possible in 2025.”
Aiwanger and his Free Voters gained significantly – despite or because of the affair surrounding an anti-Semitic and inhumane leaflet that was found on the now 52-year-old’s possession when he was at school.
Weidel: AfD results also sign of dissatisfaction
AfD leader Alice Weidel is delighted with her party’s performance. Weidel spoke on ARD about record results.
“Our politics proves us right,” said Weidel. She also viewed the strength of her party as a sign of people’s dissatisfaction with the federal government’s “ban policy”. With regard to the federal government, she spoke of a realistic chance of participating in government in 2025.
FDP top candidate Hagen: Sad day for liberalism
From the perspective of FDP top candidate Martin Hagen, election Sunday is a sad day for liberalism in Bavaria. “The FDP has missed its election goal of returning to the Bavarian state parliament for the first time since 1978,” said Hagen shortly after 6 p.m. at his party’s election party in Munich. “In heated and polarized times, we were unable to get our message through to voters.”
As the top candidate, he “of course” takes responsibility for the election results, said Hagen. “We will comprehensively analyze the causes of this defeat in the party committees.” Now keep your fingers crossed for your party friends in Hesse, because “it’s still a long election evening for them.”
FDP General Secretary Bijan Djir-Sarai reacts briefly to his party’s poor performance. “From the FDP’s point of view, the currently available figures from Bavaria are disappointing. Things remain exciting in Hesse,” he said in Berlin.
The FDP committees would evaluate the results of both state elections tomorrow, said Djir-Sarai. “We will also analyze and discuss these results within the coalition.”