Lower Saxony election LIVE: SPD clearly ahead of the CDU - FDP in a new projection out of the state parliament

Created: 09/10/2022 20:21

By: Andreas Schmid

First figures for the Lower Saxony election: the SPD sees the projections clearly ahead of the CDU.

The FDP must tremble to enter the state parliament.

All information in the news ticker.

• Projections

  for the

  state elections

  in

  Lower Saxony

  : The SPD around Stephan Weil in the lead.

  CDU facing worst result in almost 70 years.

• Consequences

  after the

  Lower Saxony election

  : Althusmann announces his resignation as CDU boss.

• Coalitions

  after the

  Lower Saxony elections

  : the SPD wants red-green, the CDU to continue to govern.

• This

  news ticker

  for the

  Lower Saxony election 2022

  will be continuously updated.

Update from October 9, 8:11 p.m

.: Bitter new numbers for the FDP.

In a recent extrapolation, the Liberals have slipped below the five percent hurdle.

This would mean they would miss out on entering the state parliament.

Shortly after the first numbers, the Free Democrats were still confident.

Now the next election fiasco is looming.

Update from October 9, 8 p.m

.: The projections are becoming more and more specific.

The most important findings on the state election in Lower Saxony: 

• The SPD is well ahead of the CDU.  

• Prime Minister Stephan Weil is likely to remain in office.

  The SPD is striving for an alliance with the Greens. 

• The FDP threatens to miss the 5 percent hurdle and has to tremble for entry into the state parliament. 

Update from October 9th, 7:53 p.m

.: The poor result of the CDU causes a personal tremor within the state association.

After leading candidate Bernd Althusmann, Lower Saxony's faction leader Dirk Toepffer has also announced his resignation.

The CDU must now reposition itself, he told the

Update from October 9, 7:42 p.m

.: Even if the SPD will probably win the election in Lower Saxony, it will probably have to accept losses compared to the last state election in 2017.

The Social Democrats will probably miss the 36.9 percent of five years ago.

The CDU is also well below the 33.6 percentage points from back then.

The Greens (2017: 8.7) and the AfD (6.2) can gain significantly.

The FDP reached 7.5 percent in 2017.

Update from October 9, 7:34 p.m

.: The smaller parties reach a little more than five percent in current projections.

Among others, the Free Voters, the Animal Welfare Party, the base and “the party” will be there.

All information about the smallest parties in Lower Saxony.

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New projection from Lower Saxony: CDU nibbles at Weil's lead - FDP trembles violently

Extrapolation for the Lower Saxony election: SPD ahead of CDU, FDP must tremble

Update from October 9, 7:24 p.m

.: A new projection lets the CDU climb again.

With a gap of almost five percentage points to the SPD, the Social Democrats' electoral success should not change.

The FDP still ranks at 5.0 percent.

Source:

Update from October 9, 7:11 p.m

.: In Lower Saxony there are many indications of a red-green alliance.

After the SPD, the Greens also came out in favor of this model.

"We are ready for talks about a red-green government participation," said party leader Ricarda Lang.

Theoretically, a continuation of the grand coalition (SPD, CDU) and a Jamaica coalition (CDU, Greens, FDP) are also conceivable - as long as the Free Democrats move into the state parliament.

All parties rule out a government with the AfD, which was able to almost double its result compared to 2017.

Update from October 9, 7:04 p.m

.: The CDU is currently regularly in front in nationwide polls.

If there were a federal election this Sunday, the Union would be the strongest force.

The fact that the CDU was unable to use this momentum should therefore also be seen as a defeat for party leader Friedrich Merz, comments Merkur editor-in-chief Georg Anastasiadis.

But the traffic light now also has a clear mission.

Extrapolation for the Lower Saxony election: FDP continues to tremble about moving into the state parliament

Update from October 9, 6:57 p.m

.: In a new projection, the CDU can record slight gains compared to previous figures.

According to figures from ARD and ZDF, the Christian Democrats are still well behind the SPD, which is heading towards victory with just over 33 percent.

With 5.0 percent of the vote, the FDP is trembling about entering the state parliament.

Consequences after the Lower Saxony election: Althusmann announces his resignation as CDU leader

Update from October 9, 6.45 p.m

.: CDU top candidate Bernd Althusmann was disappointed with his party’s poor performance.

After possibly the worst result since 1955, the current Deputy Prime Minister announced personal consequences.

Althusmann said he would resign as head of the Lower Saxony state association.

He saw a "bitter election evening for the CDU in Lower Saxony and also for me personally."

Update from October 9, 6:36 p.m

.: Lower Saxony’s SPD Prime Minister Stephan Weil has just spoken about his electoral success in the SPD state headquarters.

The 67-year-old celebrated the SPD's election victory and said: "The voters gave the SPD the government mandate - and nobody else." concerns of the citizens”.

Satisfied Prime Minister: Stephan Weil (SPD) reacts to the first figures for the state elections in Lower Saxony.

© Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa

Update from October 9th, 6:28 p.m

.: The first extrapolation shows a similar result as the 6 p.m. forecast.

The SPD is 33.3 percent, the CDU 27.6.

The FDP continues to tremble to enter the state parliament.

Coalitions after the Lower Saxony elections: the SPD wants red-green, the CDU to continue to govern

Update from October 9, 6:15 p.m

.: According to the first figures for the Lower Saxony election, the CDU is around five percent behind the SPD.

In turn, they would like to form a coalition with the Greens in the future, but the Christian Democrats are also courting SPD Prime Minister Stephan Weil.

"We would like a stable government for Lower Saxony," said CDU General Secretary Mario Czaja on ARD.

Update from October 9, 6:12 p.m

.: SPD Secretary General Kevin Kühnert sees a clear election victory for his party and Prime Minister Stephan Weil in the state elections in Lower Saxony.

He got a great result from his own strength, said Kühnert after the first forecasts in the ARD.

"If you are not strong yourself, you will not get such a result in times of crisis."

Update from October 9, 6:08 p.m

.: The SPD seems to be the clear winner of the Lower Saxony election.

Since the Greens are gaining significantly compared to 2017 (8.7 percent), a red-green alliance is mathematically possible according to the first figures.

Most recently, the SPD governed together with the CDU.

Lower Saxony election LIVE: 6 p.m. forecast here!

SPD celebrates, CDU with worst result since 1955

Update from October 9, 6:03 p.m

.: The CDU is facing its worst result in Lower Saxony since 1955. At that time, the Christian Democrats achieved 26.6 percent, the 6 p.m. forecast saw them at 27.5 percent.

Update from October 9, 6 p.m

.: The 6 p.m. forecast is here!

Accordingly, the SPD is ahead with 33.5 or 32.5 percent.

The CDU reached 27.5 percent.

The Greens get 14 to 14.5 percent.

The AfD is in the forecast at 11.5 to 12 percent.

The FDP has to tremble with 5 percent to enter the state parliament, the left in turn has no chance with 2.5 percent. 

Update from October 9, 5:30 p.m

.: The polling stations in Lower Saxony will close in half an hour.

Then there are the first forecasts and extrapolations.

By 4:30 p.m., 48.3 percent of those entitled to vote had voted.

That is around five percent less than in the 2017 state election.

Update from October 9th, 5:15 p.m

.: The Lower Saxony election is the fourth and last state election in this calendar year.

In March, the SPD made a furious start to the 2022 election year with its landslide victory in Saarland. Finally, in May, the CDU celebrated twice.

The Christian Democrats won clearly in Schleswig-Holstein and North Rhine-Westphalia, and in North Rhine-Westphalia they even regained the post of prime minister, which the SPD in turn succeeded in Saarland.

• Saarland election

  : SPD 43.5 / CDU 28.5 / AfD 5.7 / Greens 4.9 / FDP 4.8 / Left 2.6

• Schleswig-Holstein election

  : CDU 43.4 / Greens 18.3 / SPD 16.0 / FDP 6.4 / SSW 5.7 / AfD 4.4 / Left 2.1

• NRW election

  : CDU 35.7 / SPD 26.7 / Green 18.2 / FDP 5.9 / AfD 5.4 / Left 2.1

Lower Saxony election live: CDU speaks of asylum "loss of control"

Update from October 9, 4:45 p.m

.: The election campaign in Lower Saxony was essentially about federal political issues.

The major parties focused on the energy crisis and inflation.

Shortly before the polls, however, the CDU also held an asylum debate - with a federal political spin.

On Saturday, CDU top candidate Bernd Althusmann accused the federal government of failing to take in refugees.

In view of increasing migration, the incumbent Economics Minister warned in an interview with IPPEN.MEDIA that municipalities and federal states would be overburdened.

"Here, the federal government is heading in the wrong direction by softening the right to asylum," said Althusmann, calling for a strict separation in the reception of asylum seekers and war refugees.

"Germany must not lose control again." 

Lower Saxony election live: SPD Prime Minister Weil talks about rumors of the term of office

Update from October 9th, 4:20 p.m

.: Will Stephan Weil remain prime minister in Lower Saxony?

And if so, how long?

A day before the Lower Saxony elections in 2022, the 63-year-old rejected speculation about a reduced term.

In the event of his re-election, the SPD's top candidate ruled out early retirement halfway through the legislative period.

"I would like to go through the entire legislative period," said Weil in an interview with IPPEN.MEDIA. 

The head of government reacted to attacks by the CDU during the election campaign.

In his campaign speeches, opponent Bernd Althusmann described the long-serving Prime Minister as “tired of office” and “lacking ambition”.

Weil said: “The colleagues from the CDU might like that.

I'm fit and highly motivated."

Update from October 9th, 3:50 p.m.:

“I’ve never experienced such an election campaign,” moaned Stephan Weil (SPD) recently.

What the incumbent prime minister thinks before the state elections in Lower Saxony: state politics tend to take place on the sidelines during the election campaign.

Weil's challenger Bernd Althusmann, for example, criticized the traffic light coalition in the run-up and emphasized that the election was "also a vote on the federal government."

In just over two hours we will know more about the mood in Lower Saxony.

Update from October 9th, 3.30 p.m .:

The FDP top candidate in Lower Saxony, Stefan Birkner, creates a mood for the FDP on Twitter.

"Today, with the second vote for the Free Democrats, get Lower Saxony on course for modernization," Birkner wrote in the short message service.

According to him, a cross at the FDP means “secure power supply, best education, digitization and de-bureaucratization”.

Election in Lower Saxony: Voter turnout at noon lower than five years ago

Update from October 9th, 2 p.m.:

By 12.30 p.m. in Lower Saxony, 24.59 percent of those entitled to vote had cast their votes for the new state parliament.

This was announced by the state election line at the request of the NDR.

In the previous state election in 2017, the turnout at the same time was 26.91 percent.

Postal voters are not included in the information.

Election in Lower Saxony: Weil hopes for a strong SPD - Althusmann speaks of a "lucky day"

Update from October 9th, 12.45 p.m .:

When he voted, Lower Saxony’s head of state Stephan Weil (SPD) expressed hopes for a positive result for his party.

“We hope for a strong turnout.

And we hope for a strong result for the SPD," the broadcaster NDR quoted the prime minister as saying.

After the ballot, he wanted to "first have a nice breakfast," said Weil.

His challenger, CDU top candidate and Economics Minister Bernd Althusmann spoke of a lucky day when voting.

"After all, my daughter turned twelve today, which means we had every reason to celebrate this morning," he said, according to NDR.

According to the Union politician, it is now a matter of governing the country in a stable manner in a serious crisis.

So he hopes and counts "on a strong CDU, which I want to be the strongest force in Lower Saxony tonight from 6 p.m.".

Election in Lower Saxony: Weil and Althusmann cast their votes

Update from October 9th, 11.50 a.m .:

The top candidates of the SPD and CDU in Lower Saxony, Prime Minister Stephan Weil (SPD) and his deputy Bernd Althusmann (CDU), cast their votes on Sunday morning.

Weil voted in Hanover, Althusmann in Südergellersen near Lüneburg.

Update from October 9th, 11.45 a.m .:

In the election in Lower Saxony on Sunday morning, October 9th, a similar number of voters cast their votes as in the election five years ago.

As the state election management announced, the turnout at 10:00 a.m. was 7.44 percent.

In the Lower Saxony elections in 2017, a value of 8.21 percent was recorded at the same time.

According to the broadcaster NDR, postal voters, of whom a large number are expected this year, are not yet included in this interim result.

Of course, he too is participating with his vote in the Lower Saxony elections in 2022: the incumbent Prime Minister Stephan Weil (SPD).

© Friso Gentsch/dpa

Election in Lower Saxony: alarming message from political scientists for Merz

Update from October 9th, 10.45 a.m .:

The good and, above all, clear results of the state elections in Schleswig-Holstein and North Rhine-Westphalia meant a good tailwind for CDU leader Friedrich Merz.

The elections in Lower Saxony are now seen as another mood test for the federal level and at the same time as a reckoning with the traffic light coalition.

For Merz, however, things might not go as well this time as in the last two state elections.

"If the CDU only becomes the second strongest force and leaves the state government, that will be interpreted as a weakening of Friedrich Merz," warned political scientist Jürgen Falter in an interview with the

.

Election in Lower Saxony: Close race between SPD and CDU expected

Update from October 9th, 9.10 a.m .:

 Voting has started in Lower Saxony.

The polling stations are open from 8 a.m. and voting is possible until 6 p.m.

Around 6.1 million Lower Saxony are called on Sunday to elect a new state parliament.

The SPD and CDU are currently governing in a grand coalition led by Prime Minister Stephan Weil.

The SPD politician is aiming for a third term, but hopes for a new edition of red-green.

Election in Lower Saxony: mood test for federal parties

First report from October 8th:

Hanover/Munich – Red-Green ruled Lower Saxony from 2013 to 2017.

The incumbent Prime Minister Stephan Weil (SPD) is now emphasizing during the election campaign that he would like to “return” to it.

He has been in a grand coalition (“GroKo”) with the CDU for five years.

In addition to the future of the government in Hanover, the state elections in Lower Saxony in 2022 are also about federal politics: they are considered a mood test for the federal parties.

Election in Lower Saxony: SPD relies on red-green - according to the survey, the CDU lacks the options

Weil further explained that the similarities with the CDU had recently “significantly diminished”.

For the Lower Saxony Christian Democrats, on the other hand, there is no really realistic coalition option outside of the SPD.

According to surveys for the Lower Saxony elections, a black-green alliance is likely to lack a majority - the Greens also largely ruled it out with a view to the political positions of the CDU.

In the polls anyway - unlike in the Sunday question for all of Germany - the SPD leads under Weil.

The Social Democrats are 31 to 33 percent, while the CDU, led by Deputy Prime Minister Bernd Althusmann, comes to 28 to 30 percent.

The Greens are located at 16 percent and would thus be the third strongest force in the Lower Saxony state parliament.

Election campaign in Lower Saxony: energy crisis and inflation

The decisive campaign issues were more federal policy issues: the energy crisis and inflation.

"I've never experienced such an election campaign," groaned Weil himself.

Althusmann and the CDU, in turn, tried above all to turn the Lower Saxony election into a kind of vote on the crisis management of the SPD-led traffic light coalition under Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

So far without any decisive success, the polls on the election seem to have been stable for some time.

Almost 6.1 million people in Lower Saxony are called on Sunday, October 9th to elect a new state parliament.

If you are also entitled to vote, the Wahl-O-Mat can help you with the decision to vote in Lower Saxony.

In addition, we have an interactive results map to choose from on election night.

There you will find all results at city and community level.