Voters in the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate went to the polls as the second of five German state elections scheduled this year, with the outcome seen as a barometer for the national coalition government. The state, home to around 4.2 million people with about 2.95 million eligible voters, has been governed by the Social Democrats (SPD) for 35 years. Since 2024 it has been run by a “traffic light” coalition of the SPD, the Free Democrats (FDP) and the Greens. The SPD’s Alexander Schweitzer, 52, who succeeded Malu Dreyer, cast his ballot in Bad Bergzabern. The CDU’s candidate was Gordon Schnieder, 50.
Pre-election polls pointed to a tight race: some surveys gave the CDU a slight lead (around 28%) against the SPD (around 27%), though personal-preference polling showed Schweitzer substantially ahead of Schnieder as preferred premier. The AfD has risen sharply in polls, more than doubling in some surveys, while the FDP risked falling below the 5% threshold required for parliamentary representation. The Greens also appeared to have lost support. If the results left neither major party dominant, a so-called grand coalition between the CDU and SPD became a likely outcome.
Polling stations were scheduled to close at 6 p.m. local time. Turnout in 2021 had been 64.3%. The performance of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) was under particular scrutiny given its gains in other recent regional votes and concerns about its threat to democratic norms.
National and regional headlines alongside the election:
Germany and Japan seek deeper military cooperation
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius met his Japanese counterpart Shinjiro Koizumi at the Yokosuka naval base, stressing the need for closer collaboration on armaments and crisis response amid shifting global security challenges. The talks included defense-industry leaders and follow a framework since 2021 for exchanging classified data on weapons systems. Pistorius’ Asia tour also included stops in Singapore and Australia.
Interior minister proposes civil-protection lessons in schools
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) proposed teaching “civil protection” in schools, with pupils receiving a double lesson twice a year on coping with blackouts, floods, terror attacks or war. He argued pupils could become informed crisis-management ambassadors to their families and planned to present the idea at the next interior ministers’ conference.
Protest against pornographic deepfakes and digital violence in Berlin
A demonstration at the Brandenburg Gate organized by Feminist Fight Club! drew attention to digital sexualized violence amid a high-profile celebrity case involving allegations of AI-generated explicit images and online impersonation. TV presenter Collien Fernandes promoted the rally; the accused has denied claims and signaled legal action against reporting he says is one-sided.
Munich mayoral run-off and Bavaria local elections
Bavaria held run-off local elections and mayoral contests in 29 districts and over 250 municipalities. Munich’s incumbent Dieter Reiter (SPD) faced Green candidate Dominik Krause in a close race after a weak first-round showing for Reiter. The CSU recorded its worst local election result since 1952 in the first round, while the AfD made significant gains in the state.
Retail decline and city-center vacancies
The German Retail Association (HDE) warned the number of physical retail stores would fall below 300,000 in 2026 for the first time since reunification, projecting around 296,000 outlets after continued closures accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. The association blamed online competition and urged policy measures to reduce energy and employment costs.
Lufthansa testing reduced cleaning measures
Lufthansa began a test of “light cleaning” on about 20 intra-European routes, trimming between-flight cleaning to bathrooms and requested seat-pocket emptying, using spot checks and adjusting external cleaning staffing and time allocations as an efficiency pilot.
Sport: Verstappen disqualified after Nürburgring endurance win
Max Verstappen and his co-drivers initially won a four-hour Nürburgring endurance race but were later disqualified because their team used seven sets of tires instead of the six permitted. Verstappen called the circuit “the craziest race track in the world” and gained practice ahead of the 24-hour race in May.
Diesel prices near record highs
Diesel prices in Germany rose amid volatility linked to the war involving Iran, with the nationwide daily average reaching €2.291 per liter, just shy of the all-time high. Diesel has risen significantly since the onset of the wider Middle East conflict; fuel companies faced criticism for marking up prices beyond crude-cost increases.
Protests against racism and commuter disruption in Hamburg
A 1,100-person human chain in Berlin’s Rudow area protested racism and right-wing violent extremism for the International Day Against Racism. In Hamburg, a 24-hour Verdi strike halted U-bahn services and disrupted buses, leaving many commuters stranded; suburban rail and harbor ferries were unaffected, and talks were due to resume.
Live coverage and reaction
Berlin and national leaders were closely monitoring the Rhineland-Palatinate vote as an indicator of public sentiment toward the governing coalition. Observers paid particular attention to whether the SPD would retain leadership after three decades, whether the CDU could take over, the AfD’s trajectory, and the smaller parties’ parliamentary viability.