Election victory for the SPD, heavy losses for the CDU

The old prime minister will probably also be the new prime minister: according to initial forecasts, the SPD won the election in Lower Saxony. According to projections by ARD and ZDF, the Social Democrats are ahead of the CDU with top candidate Bernd Althusmann, despite losses. The Greens are heading for a record result. They are Weil's partner of choice for the future governing coalition - and according to the figures, red-green also has a majority in the state parliament.

The AfD also gains strongly and achieves a double-digit result. The FDP, on the other hand, is falling and has to worry about entering parliament. According to the forecasts, the left will again fail at the five percent hurdle.

SPD General Secretary Kevin Kühnert welcomed the result. Others wanted an anti-traffic light election campaign, he said on ARD, alluding to the CDU. "The traffic light parties together got a majority of votes in Lower Saxony," says Kühnert. That gives tailwind. CDU General Secretary Mario Czaja, on the other hand, admitted defeat in the state elections. "This is not a nice result for us," says Czaja on ZDF. Prime Minister Stephan Weil of the SPD had managed to "separate himself completely from the national trend". The CDU state chairman and top candidate Bernd Althusmann announced his resignation. Althusmann said on Sunday in Hanover that he would inform the state board on Monday that he was no longer available as state head. "That is my personal consequence of the election result."

AfD leader Tino Chrupalla was pleased with his party's result. "I'm happy that we were able to double this result," said Chrupalla on ARD. They appeared united and set the right topics. According to Chrupalla, the fact that the voters decided in favor of the AfD out of dissatisfaction is part of the task of the opposition.

FDP Vice Wolfgang Kubicki ruled out a discussion about his party's staff after the state elections. The Liberals are "a closed team," said Kubicki on ARD. This also applies to party leader Christian Lindner. Rather, it is now a question of finding “reasonable answers” to the high inflation and energy prices, for example.

Green party leader Omid Nouripour saw a government mandate for his party after the best performance in a state election in Lower Saxony. "That's a huge leap of faith," said Nouripour on ZDF. "This is an order that we also rule."

Left leader Janine Wissler was disappointed with the poor performance of her party in the state elections in Lower Saxony. But the chairwoman of the federal party on Sunday was also combative in her first reaction on Sunday evening. There will be at least three state elections next year, and preparations will be made for them. "It needs a strong left-wing opposition in parliament, not only at federal level but also in the federal states, and that's what we're fighting for."