The center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has emerged as the largest party in the Rhineland-Palatinate German state election, securing 31 percent of the vote, in an election that saw a record surge for the Alternative for Germany (AfD), which climbed to 19.5 percent and more than doubled its previous support.
The election marks a historic setback for the Social Democratic Party (SPD), which fell to 25.9 percent — a drop of nearly 10 percentage points and its worst result in decades in the state. The outcome ends more than 30 years of Social Democratic dominance and reshapes the political balance in one of Germany’s key regions.
CDU state leader Gordon Schnieder is now in pole position to form a government, potentially replacing incumbent Minister-President Alexander Schweitzer. Declaring victory, Schnieder said, “The CDU in Rhineland-Palatinate is back! There will be no majority in the Rhineland-Palatinate state parliament without the CDU,” adding that his party would push for changes in economic, education, healthcare, and security policy.
Germany, 99.6% votes counted:
Rhineland-Palatinate regional parliament election
CDU (EPP): 31.0% (+3.3)
SPD (S&D): 25.9% (-9.8)
AfD (ESN): 19.5% (+11.2)
GRÜNE (Greens/EFA): 7.9% (-1.4)
LINKE (LEFT): 4.4% (+1.9)
FW (RE): 4.2% (-1.2)
FDP (RE): 2.1% (-3.4)
BSW (NI): 1.9% (+1.9)… pic.twitter.com/DlWmm5wRQ4— Europe Elects (@EuropeElects) March 22, 2026
At the same time, the AfD’s result represents a significant breakthrough in western Germany, where the party has historically struggled to match its eastern strongholds.
Co-leader Alice Weidel welcomed the outcome, stating on X, “We have achieved a record result, the AfD in Rhineland-Palatinate achieved 20 percent in the state election, while in some districts they reached up to 48.4 percent. Congratulations to all campaigners and thank you to our voters!”
Ein Rekordergebnis, das sich den Hochrechnungen nach bestätigt – die AfD Rheinland-Pfalz erreicht 20% bei der Landtagswahl, während in einigen Wahlbezirken bis zu 48,4% erzielt werden konnten. Herzlichen Glückwunsch an alle Wahlkämpfer und Dank an unsere Wähler! pic.twitter.com/P4rpo4vsxv
— Alice Weidel (@Alice_Weidel) March 22, 2026
Speaking later to broadcaster SWR, she added, “We have an increase of almost 12 percent. This is due to the great campaign work. The voters have chosen a center-right alliance. A center-right coalition would also be possible here without any problems. The parties decide against it.
“Accordingly, we will continue to do good opposition work, put our finger in the wound and point out the problems so that they are discussed, and this is also reflected in corresponding legislative initiatives. We want to make policy for the people in this country.”
The SPD now faces the prospect of losing the minister-presidency, though it has not ruled out entering a CDU-led coalition as a junior partner. This would mirror the current political situation at the federal level, where the Grand Coalition of CDU-SPD agreed to keep out the AfD, which is now the largest opposition party in the Bundestag.
SPD General Secretary Tim Klüssendorf acknowledged the scale of the defeat, saying, “We have to take the offensive,” while emphasizing the need to refocus on policies targeting the working middle class.
Elsewhere, the Greens declined to 7.9 percent, while the FDP collapsed to just 2.1 percent, eliminating it from parliament due to not meeting the 5 percent electoral threshold. Smaller parties, including the Free Voters at 4.2 percent and the Left Party at 4.4 percent, also missed out.
The result leaves no party close to an outright majority, making coalition negotiations inevitable and potentially complex.
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