By Peter Tiede and Hans-Jörg Vehlewald
Hesse and Bavaria show: Germany is moving to the right! The AfD’s triumph continues in the West! SPD Minister Faeser – like the entire SPD at its lowest point – and the CSU gains NOTHING with Bayern-Söder. Crashed: Christian Lindner’s FDP!
► Cheers from the AfD! Record results in Bavaria and Hesse! According to initial forecasts, the right-wing party was able to make further gains in Hesse and Bavaria, reaching 15 (Bavaria, +5) and 16 percent (Hesse, +3).
► Two winners, but only one real winner at Union! Hesse’s CDU head of government Boris Rhein (51) was able to make significant gains according to the forecast (35 percent, +8), but will probably continue his black-green coalition. BUT: Prime Minister Markus Söder achieved one of the worst results in the party’s history for his CSU. Couldn’t significantly improve his 37.2 percent (2018)! And must continue to govern with significantly stronger Free Voters. A huge slap for Ego-Söder!
► Crash of the SPD! In Bavaria, the comrades achieved the worst result of the post-war period (around 8 percent). Federal Interior Minister and Hesse’s top candidate Nancy Faeser (53) ended up with just 16 percent (-4). Historical minus record. Full crash!
► In free fall: the FDP! In Hesse with around 5 percent (-2.5) on the brink. In Bavaria only 3 percent… and YOU are out!
Party legend Wolfgang Kubicki in the evening: “This result is shocking. It is clear: things cannot continue like this!”
► Significant losses for the Greens too! In Hesse they ended up at around 15 percent (-4). In Bavaria it fell by a good 2 percentage points (16 percent). It doesn’t get any greener…
► The success of the Free Voters is respectable: In Bavaria, with party leader and deputy MP Hubert “Hubsi” Aiwanger, they were able to gain around 2 percent percentage points (14 percent). But overtaken by the AfD. And in Hesse it wasn’t enough (3.5 percent). Oops, Hubsi!