The SPD won the elections in the German state of Bremen by a large margin. According to forecasts by ARD and ZDF, the Social Democrats were well ahead of the CDU on Sunday evening. Your mayor Andreas Bovenschulte was able to continue his previous red-green-red coalition. However, he announced that he was not only talking about a possible alliance with the Greens and the Left, but also with the CDU.
Bovenschulte spoke of a “great result” for his party, which has been mayor for almost 80 years. According to the forecasts, the co-governing Greens finished in third place, but with heavy losses. They were followed by the third coalition partner, the Left Party, and the right-wing populist voter association Bürger in Wut (BiW), which rose sharply. The return of the FDP to the state parliament, the parliament of Bremen, was imminent. The AfD was not allowed to vote because it had submitted two competing lists.
Unique coalition of SPD, Greens and Left
Bovenschulte has been leading a coalition of SPD, Greens and Left Party since 2019 that is unique in West Germany. The opposition CDU won elections in the state of Bremen for the first time in 2019, but failed to form a government.
According to the forecasts, the Social Democrats were ahead by 29.5 to 30 percent – they were able to significantly improve on their historically poor result from 2019 (24.9 percent). The CDU with top candidate Frank Imhoff came out at 24.5 to 25.5 percent (2019: 26.7). The Greens fell sharply to 12 to 12.5 percent (17.4). At 10.5 to 11 percent, the left achieved about the same result as in 2019 (11.3). The number of angry citizens rose sharply to 10.5 percent (2.4). At 5 to 5.5 percent, the FDP barely passed the five percent mark (5.9). Voter turnout was reported by both broadcasters as 57 percent – less than in 2019 at 64.1 percent.
According to the forecasts, the SPD will get 27 to 28 seats in parliament. The CDU has 23 to 24 seats, the Greens 11 to 12. The Left Party gets 9 to 10 seats, the FDP 5 and the BiW 10.
“Headwind for us here in Berlin”
SPD leader Lars Klingbeil said victory would give “wind in the back for us here in Berlin too”. On the coalition issue, he said, “They don’t need advice from the federal level.” Groenen’s top candidate Maike Schaefer spoke of a bitter result that would have consequences. However, the government coalition wants to continue. Greens leader Omid Nouripour admitted there was “certainly no tailwind” from the Greens in the federal government. It is a “day of humility”. CDU top candidate Frank Imhoff said his party was ready for exploratory talks with the SPD. The left-wing top candidate and senator for economic affairs Kristina Vogt hopes for quick exploratory talks, she said.
The right-wing populist BiW benefited from the fact that the AfD was not allowed. For the first time they enter parliament with factional strength. In the 2019 elections, the AfD received 6.1 percent of the vote. The BiW is situated between the CDU and the AfD. Party leader Jan Timke said that his association was a “pool for the dissatisfied”.
Mid-week results
A preliminary official final result is not expected until mid-week – the count is taking a long time due to Bremen’s complicated electoral system. When voting, voters can tick up to five boxes. Later in the evening, the returning state authority only publishes an official extrapolation, which experience has shown is already close to the final result.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
