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ELECTION

Germany’s Social Democrats set for historic losses in Bremen state election

The centre-right Christian Democrats could be set to overtake the Social Democrats in Bremen for the first time in more than 70 years, according to state election exit polls.

Published: 26 May 2019 18:46 CEST
Germany's Social Democrats set for historic losses in Bremen state election
There was likely a sombre mood at the SPD HQ in Bremen as mayor Carsten Sieling addressed the crowd. Photo: DPA

Initial projections show the centre-right CDU is just ahead of the centre-left SPD in Bremen, a state which the Social Democrats has governed for 73 years, reported Welt.

Exit polls for broadcasters ARD and ZDF put support for the SPD at around 24.5% and the centre-right Christian Democratic Union, Chancellor Angela Merkel's party, up to about 25.5%.

READ ALSO: Why can't Germany's Social Democrats pull themselves together?

The historic losses could see the SPD finish second in the northwestern city-state, Germany's smallest, for the first time since WWII.

The polls put support for the Greens in Bremen up to about 18 percent. That party is currently the Social Democrats' junior coalition partner in Bremen, and could decide whether or not it keeps its hold on the state government.

The exit polls put The Left (Die Linke) at 12 percent, while the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) have 7 percent. The pro-business FDP scooped 6 percent, according to the initial projections.

The top candidate of the CDU, Carsten Meyer-Heder after the exit polls. Photo: DPA

The results mean that SPD politician Carsten Sieling, 60, could remain Bremen mayor if his party form a coalition with the Greens and The Left, which would be a first in Bremen. It would also mark the first time The Left was in power in a western German state.

But if that alliance isn't agreed then there's the possibility that CDU candidate Carsten Meyer-Heder, 58, who only joined the party a year ago, could be elected Bremen's first Christian Democratic mayor with the help of the Greens and the FDP in a coalition.

Bremen is the only federal state with a four-year legislative period; all other German states now vote every five years.

As The Local reported, the Bremen elections will likely send shockwaves to the government in Berlin where a shaky coalition between the SPD and the CDU/CSU stands.

Due to the relatively complex electoral system in Bremen, it takes longer for reliable figures to become available.

A preliminary official final result will therefore not be published until Wednesday, officials said.
 

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POLITICS

‘Dexit’ would cost Germany ‘€690 billion and millions of jobs’

According to the German Economic Institute (IW), Germany's exit from the EU – the so-called Dexit – would cost millions of jobs and significantly reduce the country's prosperity.

Published: 19 May 2024 18:04 CEST
'Dexit' would cost Germany '€690 billion and millions of jobs'

In a study presented by the Cologne-based institute on Sunday, the authors showed that a Dexit would cause real GDP to drop by 5.6 percent after just five years. This means that Germany would lose 690 billion euros in value creation during this time.

In addition, Germany as an export nation is dependent on trade with other countries, especially with other EU countries, warned the authors. Companies and consumers in Germany would therefore feel the consequences “clearly” and around 2.5 million jobs would be lost.

The study is based on the consequences of Britain’s exit from the EU, such as the loss of trade agreements and European workers.

Taken together, the losses in economic output in Germany in the event of a Dexit would be similar to those seen during Covid-19 and the energy cost crisis in the period from 2020 to 2023, the authors warned.

Brexit is therefore “not an undertaking worth imitating,” warned IW managing director Hubertus Bardt. Rather, Brexit is a “warning for other member states not to carelessly abandon economic integration.”

Leader of the far-right AfD party Alice Weidel described Great Britain’s exit from the European Union at the beginning of the year as a “model for Germany.”

In an interview published in the Financial Times, Weidel outlined her party’s approach in the event her party came to power: First, the AfD would try to resolve its “democratic deficit” by reforming the EU. If this was not successful, a referendum would be called on whether Germany should remain in the EU.

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