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Greens Edge CDU in Baden-Württemberg With Özdemir Poised to Lead

Talks to renew the Green–CDU coalition now loom with Cem Özdemir positioned to become premier.

Members of the Federal Criminal Police Office (Bundeskriminalamt) stand guard as Alternative for Germany (AfD) top candidate Markus Frohnmaier votes during the Baden-Wuerttemberg state election at a polling station in Weil der Stadt, Germany, March 8, 2026. REUTERS/Jana Rodenbusch
Christian Democratic Union (CDU) top candidate Manuel Hagel and his wife Franziska vote during the Baden-Wuerttemberg state election, at a polling station in Ehingen, near Ulm, Germany, March 8, 2026. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach
The Greens party top candidate Cem Oezdemir votes during the Baden-Wuerttemberg state election at a polling station in Stuttgart, Germany, March 8, 2026. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz attends the cabinet meeting at the chancellery at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Overview

  • Final results show the Greens at 30.2% and the CDU at 29.7%, with the AfD at 18.8% after nearly doubling its vote share since 2021.
  • The SPD scraped 5.5%, barely entering the state parliament, while the FDP fell below the 5% threshold and will not be represented.
  • The outcome points to a continuation of the decade-long Green–CDU partnership, with Özdemir expected to succeed retiring premier Winfried Kretschmann.
  • AfD leaders touted their performance as consolidating the party’s role as the main opposition force in the southwest.
  • The vote opens a packed election year in Germany and intensifies pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s federal coalition as economic and security concerns weigh on voters.