March 7, 2026
Germany kicks off a year of regional votes on Sunday with an election in Baden-Württemberg that will be watched as a test of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s popularity after ten months in office. Polls show the Greens drawing level with the Christian Democrats (CDU), threatening the CDU’s months-long lead. Green lead candidate Cem Özdemir was polling around 28%, matching the CDU amid fading support for CDU candidate Manuel Hagel following controversy over comments he made about schoolgirls eight years ago. Winfried Kretschmann, who has led the state since 2011 and is widely popular, is not standing again. The result is still expected to confirm the Green–CDU coalition, and Özdemir is the favourite to replace Kretschmann as state premier. Baden-Württemberg is one of Germany’s wealthiest states and a centre of the carmaking industry.
Merz has been campaigning in the state and acknowledged the race would be “closer than we thought.” He also defended his conduct during a White House meeting with US President Donald Trump, saying he would not use a public camera moment to argue with the US president and stressing the importance of focusing on shared values given Europe’s continued reliance on the United States for defence. Discussions with Trump covered the war in Iran and trade, including tariff policy.
Across the country, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is drawing attention ahead of local elections in Bavaria, where more than 10 million voters will choose mayors and councillors. Bavaria does not allow 16-year-olds to vote in these contests. While the Christian Social Union (CSU) remains dominant, a new Sat.1 survey suggested the AfD could reach about 14%—a marked rise from 4.7% six years ago—potentially making it the second-strongest party at the local level. The Greens were polling at about 10% in that survey. In Munich, incumbent Mayor Dieter Reiter of the SPD is seeking a third term but has faced controversy late in the campaign.
Former Chancellor Angela Merkel used a speech at Hamburg’s St. Matthew’s Day Banquet to call for greater European unity amid global crises. She urged Europe to “take its destiny into its own hands,” arguing that unity must extend beyond security to democracy, the rule of law, human dignity, prosperity, jobs, border protection and cultural identity. Merkel also called for increased digital autonomy for the EU and said Europe should support Ukraine both militarily and diplomatically to prevent a Russian victory and secure Ukraine’s future as a sovereign state.
Economic concerns at home are underscored by a new survey conducted by Ipsos for ING, which found 27% of 1,007 respondents said their household had no savings. Half of those without savings said they did not earn enough to save; 22% blamed rising living costs. Financial worries are affecting wellbeing: 17.9% reported trouble sleeping over finances, and 36.5% agreed they felt they would never have the things in life they want because of their financial situation. The survey highlights wealth inequality in Germany: according to the Bundesbank, about half of financial wealth is held by the richest 10% of households, while roughly 20 million households hold only about 8% of financial wealth.
Sunday’s Baden-Württemberg election is the first of five state votes scheduled for 2026. Complexities in the voting system mean that final results in some contests may take several days to be confirmed.