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Germany’s SPD wins key regional vote in boost for Scholz

Germany's Social Democrats on Sunday won a closely-fought regional election dominated by worries over soaring energy costs, TV exit polls said, giving Chancellor Olaf Scholz a welcome boost.

Lower Saxony State Premier Stephan Weil (SPD), after casting his vote in the state election
Lower Saxony State Premier Stephan Weil (SPD), after casting his vote in the state election. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Julian Stratenschulte

Scholz’s SPD was set to remain the largest force in the coastal state, taking around 32.5 to 33.5 percent of votes, according to exit polls by public broadcasters ARD and ZDF.

The conservative CDU party of former chancellor Angela Merkel came a distant second at 27.5 percent.

The election was seen as a key test for Scholz and his government’s handling of the energy crisis caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine, and comes after the SPD was soundly beaten by the CDU in the last two regional polls in North Rhine-Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein.

The Greens, Scholz’s coalition partners on the federal level, surged to around 14 percent on Sunday — their best-ever result in Lower Saxony and nearly double their score from five years ago.

The far-right AfD also had reason to cheer, climbing to around 12 percent as it capitalises on anger over the rising cost of living in Germany.

Russia’s war in Ukraine has sent prices for power soaring, pushing German inflation to a record-high of 10 percent in September and fuelling fears of a looming recession in Europe’s top economy.

The Lower Saxony election was “very important” for Scholz, political scientist Karl-Rudolf Korte told ZDF, calling it “a referendum on the government’s policy” as Germany grapples with several crises.

Lower Saxony’s popular premier Stephan Weil from the SPD, who is set to nab a third consecutive term, had called the election contest “the most difficult of my life”.

“Never have I seen so many question marks and worries on citizens’ faces,” he told WirtschaftsWoche magazine ahead of the vote.

Weil, 63, cast himself as a safe pair of hands in uncertain times and wants Lower Saxony — home to auto giant Volkswagen as well as most of Germany’s wind turbines — to play a leading role in the green energy transition.

He has ruled out a repeat coalition with the CDU and wants to team up with the Greens.

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POLITICS

Scholz calls on coalition to ‘pull ourselves together’

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Saturday called on his fractious governing coalition to "pull ourselves together" following a dismal showing in EU parliament elections last week.

Scholz calls on coalition to 'pull ourselves together'

In power since the end of 2021, the three parties in government — Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens and the liberal FDP — have been at loggerheads on a wide range of issues including climate measures and budget spending.

“I think that this is one of the entirely justified criticisms of many citizens, namely that there is too much debate” within the coalition, Scholz told German television channel ZDF on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Italy.

“We need to pull ourselves together and stick together to reach agreements,” he added.

“The people have the right to demand that things change,” Scholz told public broadcaster ARD.

The three parties in the coalition suffered a severe defeat in the European elections, with the SPD achieving its worst result in a national election since 1949.

Subsequently, Scholz has faced mounting criticism within his own party.

On Saturday, however, Scholz told ZDF and ARD that he was “sure” that he would be the SPD’s next candidate for the chancellorship in the parliamentary elections scheduled for autumn 2025.

In the very short term, a new test awaits the coalition, which must reach an agreement on the 2025 budget by the beginning of July.

The FDP’s finance minister is opposed to any exceptions to the rules limiting debt and to any tax increases.

On the other hand, the SPD and the Greens are opposed to cuts in social welfare or climate protection.

The debate is also focused on increasing the resources allocated to the German army.

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