German Greens Surge, Dealing Blow to Chancellor Merz’s Coalition
BERLIN (AP) — Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s governing coalition suffered a setback on Sunday as the environmentalist Greens secured a narrow victory in the state election in Baden-Württemberg, a key industrial region. The result adds pressure on Merz to address Germany’s economic challenges and comes ahead of a year with several crucial state elections.
Merz acknowledged the disappointing outcome, stating that his government must “manage more, and more substantially, in terms of the necessary reforms so that we in Germany can acquire out of this difficult economic situation.” Germany has Europe’s largest economy.
A Late Comeback for the Greens
The Christian Democratic Union (CDU), led by Merz, had been widely expected to regain control of Baden-Württemberg, a region home to major automakers like Mercedes-Benz and Porsche. However, a strong campaign led by Cem Özdemir, a former federal agriculture minister, propelled the Greens to a surprise win.
Final results showed the Greens taking 30.2% of the vote, narrowly edging out the CDU with 29.7% – an improvement from their performance five years ago, but not enough to secure victory. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) nearly doubled its support, reaching 18.8%, reflecting broader gains made in last year’s national election. Merz’s coalition partner, the Social Democratic Party (SPD), experienced a significant loss, garnering only 5.5% of the vote.
Özdemir, 60, emphasized his experience and presented a more moderate image of the Greens in Baden-Württemberg, differing from the party’s more left-leaning national stance. His 37-year-aged CDU opponent, Manuel Hagel, lacked the same level of public recognition and faced scrutiny over a resurfaced video from 2018.
Coalition to Continue, AfD Gains Ground
The Greens and CDU are anticipated to form a coalition government, continuing their partnership of the past decade, with Özdemir poised to develop into Germany’s first state governor with Turkish roots. Merz reaffirmed his party’s commitment to excluding the AfD from any coalition, stating, “we will not operate together with this party. Period.”
This election was the first of five state elections scheduled for 2026. The next contest, on March 22 in Rhineland-Palatinate, will pit the national governing parties against each other. In September, elections are planned for Berlin and two regions in eastern Germany, where the AfD is particularly strong and aims to secure its first state governorship.
Pressure Mounts on Chancellor Merz
Merz described the result as a “bitter result” but highlighted his party’s gains and maintained parity with the Greens in the state legislature. He credited Özdemir’s victory to his ability to distance himself from the national Green party platform.
Merz defended his government’s efforts to fulfill its promises, acknowledging that “it’s not yet enough.” He also emphasized his focus on foreign and European policy, having recently visited Washington and Beijing. However, political science professor Uwe Jun from the University of Trier suggested that Merz needs to demonstrate improvements in domestic social and economic policy to boost his party’s popularity. Reuters reported on this analysis.