Another bitter election evening for the SPD in North Rhine-Westphalia: As is the case nationwide, there is a clear lead for the CDU in the European elections.
In the European elections, the CDU became the strongest force in North Rhine-Westphalia, as well as nationwide, according to WDR projections. According to the figures from 8:05 p.m., it is clearly ahead in the most populous federal state with 32.0 percent and improves its result from 2019 (27.9).
Hendrik Wüst, state party leader and Prime Minister, expressed pleasure over the CDU's performance, noting it is even ahead of the national average. He interpreted the “great success” as a confirmation of the party's centrist course and as a clear message to the traffic light coalition to stop internal disagreements and prioritize governance for the people.
The SPD, on the other hand, suffered its worst European election result in North Rhine-Westphalia, securing only 16.7 percent, down from its lowest previous result in 2019 (19.2). Sarah Philipp and Achim Post, the dual leadership of the NRW SPD, recognized this as a decisive defeat and emphasized the need to learn lessons for upcoming local and federal elections.
The Greens also experienced a significant drop, falling from second to third place with 13.7 percent, a marked decline from their 2019 peak of 23.2 percent. State chairwoman Yazgülü Zeybek acknowledged their failure to alleviate public concerns and to persuasively communicate the benefits of sustainable prosperity and security.
The AfD witnessed a notable rise in North Rhine-Westphalia, increasing its share of votes from 8.5 to 12.8 percent. Martin Vincentz, state party leader, attributed this strong result to the party addressing the right issues, despite difficult circumstances and a heated election campaign.
Wüst cautioned other parties, noting that the AfD's performance, which even placed it second in the federal ranking with approximately 16.4 percent, should serve as a wake-up call. Nonetheless, he is pleased that the majority of voters rejected extremist ideologies.
Meanwhile, the FDP maintained steady support, achieving 6.1 percent in North Rhine-Westphalia compared to 6.7 percent in 2019. Henning Höne, the FDP state party leader, noted the party's stability under challenging conditions. Additionally, the newly founded Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) secured 4.1 percent, outperforming the FDP nationwide.
The voter turnout in North Rhine-Westphalia was estimated at 63 percent, slightly higher than the 2019 turnout of 61.4 percent, according to WDR figures from 9 p.m.
- According to exit polls, the CDU-CSU emerged as the strongest party in Germany overall, with the AfD overtaking the SPD to claim second place.
- AfD leader Tino Chrupalla celebrated what he called a 'record result,' highlighting the party's success in attracting nearly 50 percent of new voters in Europe.
- In contrast, voter turnout in Croatia was markedly low at 15.5 percent by 4:30 p.m., partly due to electoral fatigue following recent legislative elections.
- According to forecasts by Europe Elects, the EPP is projected to increase its seats in the European Parliament, followed by the S&D and Renew liberals.
- In Austria, exit polls indicated the far-right FPO party leading with 27 percent of the vote, overtaking traditional parties OVP and SPO.
