Scholz Gains Momentum With Emphatic Regional Election Win
- SPD takes Saarland for first time in 23 years as CDU collapses
- Chancellor’s poll rating has risen since start of Ukraine war
Olaf Scholz
Photographer: Valeria Mongelli/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats triumphed in Germany’s first regional election since he took office, winning control of the small western state of Saarland for the first time in 23 years and gaining momentum ahead of two more regional votes in May.
The SPD took 43.5% in Sunday’s vote in Saarland, an increase of almost 14 percentage points that gives it 29 out of 51 seats in the state legislature and lets it govern without needing a coalition partner. Former Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union slumped more than 12 points to 28.5%, half a year after its defeat in the national election.