Reactions to the Saarland election: First Merz defeat?

Green especially in focus

Created: 03/27/2022, 08:13

By: Andreas Schmid

CDU in focus: Saarland boss Tobias Hans (right) and party boss Friedrich Merz.

© BeckerBredel/Imago

The Saarland election is politically important.

The CDU and SPD focus on Merz and Scholz.

Four parties are trembling about entering the state parliament.

The reactions in the news ticker.

• The state elections in Saarland* will take place on Sunday (March 27).

• Anke Rehlinger* (SPD) challenges the incumbent Prime Minister Tobias Hans* (CDU).

• The CDU is threatened with opposition in the first election after the federal election.

  A defeat for Friedrich Merz?

• This

  news ticker on the reactions to the state elections in Saarland

  is continuously updated.

Saarbrücken - Around 800,000 voters decide on a not insignificant state election.

The Saarland election is the first really measurable mood picture after the federal election.

According to surveys, Prime Minister Tobias Hans (CDU) could face deselection after less than one legislative period.

The SPD of challenger and state economics minister Anke Rehlinger is ahead by a clear margin.

This is quite explosive, after all, the CDU recently had a permanent subscription to the State Chancellery.

Before Hans, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer was prime minister for many years.

For the first time since 1994, the Social Democrats could now take over this office.

Saarland state election also relevant for the federal government: first Merz election, Scholz advantage for SPD?

The state politics in the small Saarland does not have the political explosive force like the upcoming North Rhine-Westphalia elections* in May, but they are the first ones after the federal elections.

And it is also the first after the reorganization in the CDU party leadership.

How does Friedrich Merz start the 2022 election year as CDU leader?

Is the CDU now going into the opposition at state level?

Possible, as well as a grand coalition with the SPD.

And the SPD?

Based on top candidate Rehlinger's past as a shot putter and discus thrower, he could make the big hit.

A success that would probably also be attributed to the SPD's own party leadership and Olaf Scholz*.

The Saar-SPD may actually benefit from Scholz' chancellorship, but is still well above the SPD national average in the polls before the election*.

A not insignificant side aspect in the event of an election victory: the reconquest of Saarland would be important in order to further position oneself in front of the CDU at state level.

State elections in Saarland 2022: Which party governs which federal states?

Saarland election 2022: Greens, FDP, AfD, Left - four parties must tremble

And the other parties?

There is just as much at stake for them.

The FDP and the Greens want, almost have to, go back to the state parliament.

In the last state election, they failed at the five percent hurdle.

Can you now benefit from the fact that both parties are involved in the federal government?

Doubtful, especially the Greens are badly scandalized in Saarland*.

Even before the general election, there was trouble with the party leadership Habeck/Baerbock*.

The AfD and the left want to remain in the state parliament, but things are looking bleak for the left.

Oskar Lafontaine - a formative figure on the left and longtime head of Saarland (albeit for the SPD) - leaves behind a field of rubble when he leaves the party.

According to the polls before the election, the Left Party is below five percent.

The Saarland election also provides federal political topics of conversation - and will probably be interpreted differently by the respective parties.

In this news ticker we keep you up to date on all the important reactions to the election results.