After the SPD’s poor showing in the Rhineland‑Palatinate state election, Governor Alexander Schweitzer (SPD) reiterated that he will not join a cabinet led by CDU winner Gordon Schneider. “I have said this, and I belong to those who still speak after the election the same way they spoke before it” Schweitzer told ARD on Sunday evening. “I will not enter a cabinet, but of course I will continue to carry out my duties as governor with full engagement up to the very last day, as I have done so far”. He added that he will keep performing his role day after day until the legislative body formally transfers office.
The Social Democrats recorded the worst result in the state’s history. According to the most recent projections from ARD and ZDF, the SPD receives an average of 25.8 percent of the vote, while the CDU comes in first with an average share of 30.7 percent. Based on pre‑election statements from the parties, the outcome is pointing towards a grand coalition headed by Schneider, as more than 4,400 of 4,694 voting districts have already been counted.
The AfD follows in third place with an average share of roughly 20 percent, effectively doubling its previous performance. The Greens, still in a traffic‑light coalition in Mainz, drop to 7.9 percent and secure the fourth spot. The FDP (2.1 percent) and the Free Voters (4.2 percent) fall below the five‑percent threshold and will not enter the Landtag. The Left also fails to surpass the threshold with 4.4 percent.
