After the state elections, the CSU remains the strongest force in Bavaria with almost the same result. According to the preliminary results published on the Internet, the party has 37.0 percent.
The Greens deteriorated significantly and still received 14.4 percent of the vote. The Free Voters increased significantly to 15.8 percent, making them the second strongest force in the future. The AfD also made strong gains, reaching 14.6 percent. The SPD worsened again and was still able to unite 8.4 percent of voters behind it. The FDP failed to re-enter the state parliament with 3.0 percent.
Despite the rather weak result, Söder sees a clear government mandate for his CSU. He announced that he wanted to continue the coalition with the Free Voters – but he rejected the Greens. He wants to hold the first discussions this week. Free Voters leader Hubert Aiwanger said they didn’t want to allow any ambiguities to arise, but would rather make things “clear” within a few days.
Söder: Results require different migration policies
CSU boss Söder sees the results of the state elections in Bavaria and Hesse as a mandate for a different migration policy. “For me, the consequences – and this is the most important thing from this election result – are the national task of turning migration policy around, of a pact against uncontrolled immigration,” said Bavaria’s Prime Minister on ZDF’s “heute journal”. “That, I believe, is the real task that we can ultimately draw from the two state elections.”
In the ARD “Tagesthemen” the CSU leader said: “We see the AfD as a right-wing extremist party.” You shouldn’t run after the AfD now, but you have to solve problems. A different migration policy is therefore needed quickly. “Then you can significantly reduce the AfD.”
Söder also saw the affair surrounding an anti-Semitic leaflet, at the center of which was Free Voters leader Hubert Aiwanger in the election campaign, as a reason for the CSU’s performance: “Before this leaflet affair, we were significantly higher,” he said on ZDF.
“Clear mission to the CSU and to me personally”
Söder also sees himself personally confirmed. “It was never about a beauty prize, but about a clear government mandate,” Söder commented on the first forecast on ARD. “This clear government mandate is to the CSU,” said Söder. “And I can say this: As I have seen that over 60 percent in Bavaria are of the opinion that this Prime Minister is also doing a good job, there is also a clear mandate for the CSU and me personally to create a strong and stable government for and in To form Bavaria.”
CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann is also very satisfied with the performance of the CDU and CSU in the state elections. “Markus Söder ran a great election campaign,” said Linnemann on ARD about the CSU leader. This now has a government mandate in Bavaria.
The chairman of the CSU state group in the Bundestag, Alexander Dobrindt, sees a clear government mandate for the CSU based on the forecasts for the Bavarian state elections. “The coalition has been confirmed,” said Dobrindt on ARD. The CSU has been able to make further gains in the past few weeks. “And that’s why the government mandate clearly lies with the CSU.” Dobrindt spoke of a good result.
Kühnert: Bitter evening for the SPD
SPD General Secretary Kevin Kühnert sees the results of the state elections as bitter for his party and for the traffic light coalition. “We are expressly not the election winners this evening,” said Kühnert on ZDF. The three parties in the traffic light coalition would have lost in both federal states.
“We should all recognize the signals together in the traffic light coalition: There is also a message for us in this election result,” said Kühnert. He said on ARD that one must recognize that “the general mood is weighing on people’s minds and that more orientation is needed.”
SPD leader Lars Klingbeil also admits his party’s poor performance in the state elections. “These are two defeats for the SPD,” he said on ARD. “We fought for something different, I hoped for something different.” “We will now process the result,” announced Klingbeil.
According to its top candidate, Florian von Brunn, the SPD’s election campaign themes “played almost no role” in Bavaria. They did not manage to make their own issues the dominant ones in the election campaign. His party’s result in the state elections in Bavaria was a “disappointment”.
Nouripour: Greens stable
The Green’s top candidate in the state elections in Bavaria, Ludwig Hartmann, is satisfied with his party’s result. It was the second best in its history in a state election in Bavaria – although there was a “very heated election campaign,” he said. “The Greens have a very strong foundation in Bavaria, even if the wind is a little stronger in their faces.”
It makes him think that there is currently a certain shift to the right in Bavaria, said Hartmann. Markus Söder has actually brought populism back to Bavaria, “which has also strengthened the AfD,” he criticized. Nevertheless, Hartmann emphasized that he was ready for talks.
The Green Party leader Omid Nouripour describes his party’s election results in the state elections as stable. The Greens hoped to become the second strongest force in both elections, Nouripour said on ARD. The Greens stand for responsibility. According to forecasts, his party has lost.
Free voters with a plus despite the leaflet affair
Free Voters leader Hubert Aiwanger was equally satisfied with the initial forecasts. “14 percent would be quite good,” said Bavaria’s deputy prime minister on Bayerischer Rundfunk shortly after the polls closed. He assumes that the value for the Free Voters will continue to rise, but it is already an excellent result. “We are satisfied,” he said.
Aiwanger wants to remain economics minister in Bavaria in a new government. “I think I’ve done a good job here and I would like to continue it,” said Aiwanger on Bavarian Radio television.
After their success in the Bavarian state elections, Hubert Aiwanger sees his Free Voters as a “people’s party” and is striving for higher things. “Of course, this wave must not stop at the Bavarian borders,” he said on Sunday evening at his party’s election party in Munich. “We will also rock the country in the European elections next year.” And if the Free Voters continue to work “diligently” – “then entry into the German Bundestag is possible in 2025.”
Aiwanger and his Free Voters gained significantly – despite or because of the affair surrounding an anti-Semitic and inhumane leaflet that was found on the now 52-year-old’s possession when he was at school.
Weidel: AfD results also sign of dissatisfaction
AfD leader Alice Weidel is delighted with her party’s performance. Weidel spoke on ARD about record results.
“Our politics proves us right,” said Weidel. She also viewed the strength of her party as a sign of people’s dissatisfaction with the federal government’s “ban policy”. With regard to the federal government, she spoke of a realistic chance of participating in government in 2025.
FDP top candidate Hagen: Sad day for liberalism
From the perspective of FDP top candidate Martin Hagen, election Sunday is a sad day for liberalism in Bavaria. “The FDP has missed its election goal of returning to the Bavarian state parliament for the first time since 1978,” said Hagen shortly after 6 p.m. at his party’s election party in Munich. “In heated and polarized times, we were unable to get our message through to voters.”
As the top candidate, he “of course” takes responsibility for the election results, said Hagen. “We will comprehensively analyze the causes of this defeat in the party committees.” Now keep your fingers crossed for your party friends in Hesse, because “it’s still a long election evening for them.”
FDP General Secretary Bijan Djir-Sarai reacts briefly to his party’s poor performance. “From the FDP’s point of view, the currently available figures from Bavaria are disappointing. Things remain exciting in Hesse,” he said in Berlin.
The FDP committees would evaluate the results of both state elections tomorrow, said Djir-Sarai. “We will also analyze and discuss these results within the coalition.”
