State elections in North Rhine-Westphalia: Wüst and Kutschaty scoff at Laschet – close result expected

Created: 05/15/2022, 15:08

By: Kim Hornickel, Nail Akkoyun, Sophia Lother

The polling stations in NRW have been open since 8 a.m.

Around 13 million people are entitled to vote: the news ticker for the state elections in North Rhine-Westphalia

• The outcome is completely open

  : the people of North Rhine-Westphalia will elect a new state parliament on May 15, 2022.

• In the state elections in North Rhine-Westphalia

  , 13 million eligible voters decide

  who will run the state government.

• Which coalitions are possible after the state elections in North Rhine-

  Westphalia

  ?

+++ 3 p.m.:

Apparently there were also critical voices from the two top candidates from the CDU and SPD in the state elections in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Accordingly, Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst and his challenger Kuchaty are said to have discussed the folding of the ballot papers and made jokes about them.

"But it's difficult to fold so that nobody can see anything," the SPD top candidate is said to have emphasized, according to dpa.

The aim of these statements is apparently none other than Wüst's predecessor, Armin Laschet.

When voting in the 2021 election, Laschet submitted his slip of paper in such a way that it was clear where the then Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia had put his cross.

State elections in NRW: Which coalitions are possible?

Survey results provide insights

+++ 2.15 p.m .:

Which possible coalitions do the citizens have to adjust to after the state elections in North Rhine-Westphalia?

Initial forecasts can already be made in view of the current survey results.

The following coalitions would be possible after the NRW election:

• CDU and SPD

• CDU and Greens

• CDU, Greens and FDP

• SPD, Greens and FDP

NRW Prime Minister Wüst would like to continue governing with the FDP after the state elections in North Rhine-Westphalia, but the Liberals – like the Greens – are keeping all options open.

The North Rhine-Westphalia SPD leader and former state justice minister Kutschaty can imagine the formation of a traffic light coalition like in the federal government.

State election NRW 2022: Vote!

+++ 1:20 p.m .:

In the state elections in North Rhine-Westphalia, the turnout in 2022 could be higher than in the previous election.

By Sunday noon, almost 36 percent of voters had already put their crosses.

In the 2017 NRW election it was 34 percent.

The current values ​​are based on the results of random samples and the postal votes are already included.

Which coalitions are possible after the state elections in North Rhine-Westphalia?

©Oliver Berg/dpa

State elections in North Rhine-Westphalia: Close result expected – Kuchaty becomes emotional

+++ 12.55 p.m .:

The state elections in North Rhine-Westphalia promise to be exciting.

According to the latest polls, there could be an extremely close result.

In the meantime, the top candidates Hendrik Wüst (CDU) and Thomas Kutschaty (SPD) have also cast their votes.

Wüst appealed on Twitter after voting in the state elections in North Rhine-Westphalia: "Please also vote and strengthen our democracy with your vote." SPD top candidate Kutschaty, on the other hand, became emotional in his Twitter message and wrote: "Decades ago I was in been enrolled in school.

Today I can vote for #NRWvonTomorrow here with the woman I love.

I take a good feeling with me into the day.”

State elections in North Rhine-Westphalia: polls predict tight results

+++ 12.15 p.m

.: In several surveys, the state elections in North Rhine-Westphalia recently showed a close race between the CDU and SPD.

With around 30 to 32 percent, the CDU was just ahead of the SPD with 28 to 29 percent.

In most surveys, the CDU has a lead of two to three percentage points over the SPD - a statement on the ranking of the two parties is not possible because of the statistical error rate.

In addition, according to polls, many voters were still undecided about whom to vote for.

State elections in North Rhine-Westphalia: the outcome is completely open

+++ 11.00 a.m .:

In Berlin, too, politicians are looking to the West.

The state elections in North Rhine-Westphalia are considered the most important indicator of the state elections in 2022 for the federal parties and the ruling traffic light coalition under SPD Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Because of the high number of eligible voters, it is also known as the "small federal election".

Update from Sunday, May 15, 8:00 a.m.:

North Rhine-Westphalia is facing an exciting state election with a completely open outcome: On Sunday, around 13 million eligible voters in the most populous federal state are called to vote.

Until recently, the CDU with Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (46) and the SPD with challenger Thomas Kutschaty (53) were neck and neck in polls.

The polling stations in North Rhine-Westphalia are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

State elections in North Rhine-Westphalia: massive disturbances in Lindner's speech

+++ 9.40 p.m .:

During a speech by the FDP chairman Christian Lindner, there were massive disruptions in Düsseldorf.

Among other things, the Federal Minister of Finance was called “warmonger” and “liar” while he was trying to mobilize the last votes for the state elections in North Rhine-Westphalia at the end of the NRW election campaign.

"If you think you can upset me, you're wrong," said Lindner.

Addressing the small group of disruptors, the politician shouted to great applause from the audience: "The brave Ukrainians even defend the freedom of those who trample on it."

The FDP is currently forming a coalition with the CDU in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Recent surveys see the FDP mostly at seven to eight percent, for a new edition of a black and yellow government in NRW it would not be enough.

In the 2017 state election, the FDP won 12.6 percent.

State elections in North Rhine-Westphalia: Friedrich Merz and Ricarda Lang speak out

+++ 3.55 p.m .:

Friedrich Merz and Ricarda Lang spoke out shortly before the state elections in North Rhine-Westphalia and made the first, cautious forecasts.

"I am very, very confident that we will win this state election, in the sense that we will remain the strongest parliamentary group in the North Rhine-Westphalian state parliament and will also be given the task of forming the state government," said CDU leader Merz.

Greens chairwoman Ricarda Lang spoke, also on WDR, of a noticeable "change in mood" - the Greens are therefore "optimistic about the day".

Greens top candidate Mona Neubar was supported by Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck at rallies in Düsseldorf and Cologne.

In several surveys, a tight race between the CDU and SPD has recently emerged.

"For me it is important that there can be no coalition without the Greens," said Green Vice Lang on WDR.

State elections in North Rhine-Westphalia: Federal Finance Minister Lindner is vying for votes

Update from Saturday, May 14, 8:00 a.m.:

One day before the state elections in North Rhine-Westphalia, the parties will again campaign for every vote on Saturday (May 14).

After the CDU, SPD and Greens held their central final rallies on Friday, prominent national and state figures will come to Düsseldorf for the final on Saturday (from 5 p.m.) for the FDP.

In the state capital of North Rhine-Westphalia, Federal Minister of Finance Christian Lindner and Deputy Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia and top candidate Joachim Stamp are campaigning for votes.

The CDU and SPD are fighting a close race in the polls - with a slight lead for the Christian Democrats.

CDU Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst and his SPD challenger Thomas Kutschaty are campaigning in the streets on Saturday.

Kuschaty is campaigning for votes in Essen, Düsseldorf and Gelsenkirchen.

CDU top candidate Wüst travels to the doorstep election campaign in Lübbecke in East Westphalia, as well as to Bad Salzuflen, Wiedenbrück and Lippstadt.

State elections in North Rhine-Westphalia: final sprint in the election campaign

Update from Friday, May 13, 5.30 p.m .:

Starting signal for the final sprint of the election campaign: According to the latest surveys, Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) has a tailwind in the last few hours until the state elections on Sunday (May 15) in North Rhine-Westphalia.

"The mood is good," said the 46-year-old on Friday (May 13) at an election campaign event on the company premises of Schmitz Cargobull AG in Altenberge in the Münsterland region.

The head of government in North Rhine-Westphalia received support from his colleague and party colleague from Schleswig-Holstein, Daniel Günther, who won around 40 percent of the votes in the last election.

Wüst spoke of the "tailwind from the north." According to the latest polls, Wüst, who only took over the post from Armin Laschet last October, is just ahead of his challenger and SPD top candidate Thomas Kutschaty.

A neck-and-neck race between the two rivals and their parties is expected on Sunday.

State elections in North Rhine-Westphalia: All results of the race between the CDU and SPD

First report from Friday, May 13th:

Düsseldorf – On Sunday, May 15th, the 2022 state elections will take place in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Citizens can cast their votes at the polling stations between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. or exercise their right to vote by post beforehand.

All Germans who have reached the age of 18 on the Sunday of the election, have lived in NRW for at least the 16th day before the election and are not otherwise excluded from the right to vote are entitled to vote.

After the elections in Saarland and Schleswig-Holstein, this is the third vote in the 2022 state elections. However, it is not possible to say exactly when the result will be known.

Because after the election, the results are checked again before the final result is known.

First statements on the turnout can be expected in the course of Sunday.

The current forecasts and projections for the NRW election are also ticked live.

State elections in North Rhine-Westphalia: Will Hendrik Wüst remain prime minister?

In the state elections in North Rhine-Westphalia, in addition to the incumbent Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU), his deputy Joachim Stamp (FDP) and SPD politician Thomas Kutschaty - the incumbent and the Social Democrat are considered top candidates.

According to most surveys, Wüst and Kuchaty are often on par or just ahead of each other.

A survey by the opinion research institute Infratest dimap, which was commissioned by WDR, put the CDU at 31 percent on April 3, 2022, while the SPD at 30 percent.

Other institutes see the SPD ahead of the Christian Democrats.

It should be exciting.

State elections in North Rhine-Westphalia: A close race between SPD and CDU

Although other parties such as the Left, the Greens or the FDP have also entered candidates, the election will in all likelihood be decided between the CDU and the SPD.

The first forecasts can be expected from 6:30 p.m. on election Sunday.

The state elections in North Rhine-Westphalia can be followed live on TV and in the live stream.

(slo/nak/kh with AFP/dpa)