Lower Saxony CDU leader Lechner calls for political course correction in Berlin

Sebastian Lechner, State Chairman of the CDU Lower Saxony. Source: Michael Matthey/dpa

According to CDU state leader Sebastian Lechner, dissatisfaction with the federal government was palpable during the election campaign in Lower Saxony. He acknowledged a "credibility problem" and called for political changes in Berlin following the state elections.

Election Results: CDU Leads Statewide

Amid debates surrounding Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the CDU emerged as the strongest party statewide in the municipal elections in Lower Saxony, according to projections. A projection by Infratest dimap, published by NDR shortly after 10 p.m., showed:

• CDU: 27.7%
• SPD: 24.5%
• AfD: 16.5% (more than tripling its share from 4.6%)
• Greens: 13.6%
• Die Linke: 5.9%
• FDP: 3.6%

The final provisional result is not expected until Monday morning.

CDU Leader Demands "Change in Berlin"

Lower Saxony's CDU leader Sebastian Lechner urged the federal government to realign its policies following the municipal elections.

"I believe political change is needed in Berlin. We must relieve the burden on people. Energy prices are too high, housing prices are too high. People take home too little net income from their gross salary."

Lechner stated that the federal government must make bold decisions by the end of the year.

He assessed the CDU's initial results in the municipal elections as good, "despite this national trend."

"We also noticed the discontent regarding Berlin. You know that we have a credibility problem there, which we certainly need to discuss calmly together in the coming weeks."

Discussions on Relief Measures After State Elections

When asked about the future of Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU), Lechner stated that now was not the time for personnel discussions. The CDU must focus on the state elections in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin next week.

"And then we will discuss together as the CDU team how we can manage, starting from the 20th, to provide more tangible relief for the people in this country, to pursue a policy that brings economic recovery again, and we will organize this cohesively as the CDU team."

Lechner emphasized that Merz, as Chancellor, is an essential part of this CDU team.

Regarding speculation about a possible minority government led by the Union under Merz, Lechner said:

"I am not aware of these considerations. I consider them completely absurd, and I am also grateful that Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz has clearly denied them."

AfD State Leader: "AfD Is Now a Municipal Party"

AfD state chairman Ansgar Schledde described his party as the "clear winner of the evening" in the municipal elections. According to the Infratest dimap projection, the AfD more than tripled its share from 4.6% to 16.5%.

"The AfD is now a municipal party, and with this massive support and newly established roots, we will go into the state election strengthened."

The party sees "this as a sign that citizens desire a confident conservative force as a corrective factor also at the level of districts and municipalities."

AfD Candidate Advances to Runoff in Salzgitter

The projection takes into account the results of city council elections in independent cities, district council elections in counties, and the election of the regional assembly in the Hannover region.

The AfD state association is classified by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution as a right-wing extremist observation object. The party is legally contesting this classification. However, four AfD candidates were not allowed to run due to doubts about their loyalty to the constitution.

One week after the AfD's success in the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt, the party celebrated a notable achievement in Salzgitter.