Merz’s Party Secures German Election Win in Socialist Haven

WATCH: Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union secured 31% of the vote in Rhineland-Palatinate, according to preliminary results. Oliver Crook reports.Source: Bloomberg

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By Arne Delfs

March 22, 2026 at 5:11 PM UTC

Updated on

March 23, 2026 at 5:36 AM UTC

Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s party dislodged the Social Democrats from power after 35 years in a southwestern German state, notching a win for a conservative leader struggling to gain nationwide traction among voters.

The Christian Democratic Union secured 31% of the vote in Rhineland-Palatinate ahead of the Social Democrats with 25.9%, according to preliminary results from the state returning officer. The victory softens the blow of a stinging defeat for the CDU in a state election in neighboring Baden-Wuerttemberg two weeks ago.