Germany: Merz's CDU set to win in NRW, AfD makes big gains

North Rhine-Westphalia state premier Hendrik Wüst of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party called his state "the powerhouse of the CDU."

Wüst wrote on X after initial projections on Sunday evening showed that his party is set for victory in Germany's most populous state.

The result also demonstrates that the center-right party in North Rhine-Westphalia is "the pacesetter for strong election results for the CDU throughout Germany," Wüst said. 

Bärbel Bas, the co-chairperson of the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), said she is disappointed at her party's showing in local elections in North Rhine-Westphalia on Sunday. 

Bas, who is also the federal Labor Minister, acknowledged to regional public broadcaster WDR that the party was unable to "stop the downward trend."

"The results do not make me happy, of course," she added.

The SPD is projected to finish second, with around 22% of the vote.

However, Bas insisted that the outcome is not the disaster for the SPD that had been predicted ahead of the vote.

"We must, of course, ask ourselves how we can get out of this slump," said Bas, who added that the performance of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) should be a concern for all democratic parties.

The SPD has struggled at the ballot box recently. February's federal election was the party's worst result since 1887.

Germany's men's basketball team won its second ever European title after defeating Turkey in the EuroBasket 2025 final in Riga on Sunday night.

The reigning world champions beat the Turks 88-83 thanks to a strong showing from NBA star Dennis Schröder, who was named the MVP of the tournament.

Read more about how Germany won their first EuroBasket title since 1993.

Who is German — and what exactly makes someone German? Germans have been arguing about these issues for centuries.

The constitution, called the Basic Law, is clear: a German is anyone with a German passport. 

Citizenship cannot be revoked, and discriminating against citizens on the basis of their religion, origin or language violates the Basic Law's fundamental values.

This is one of the lessons learned from the Nazi regime's reign of terror from 1933 to 1945, which systematically disenfranchised, terrorized and murdered Germany's Jewish population in particular. Sinti and Roma, homosexuals, disabled people and political opponents, among others, were also targeted and were denied their German identity.

Read more about how 80 years after the end of Nazi rule, the fundamental value of equality for all Germans is increasingly being called into question.

Nearly all of the ripe grapes have been stolen from two vineyards covering an area of around 8,000 square meters in the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate .

The theft is estimated to cost two independent winemakers in the village of Gundheim "several thousand euros," police said in a statement.

The village is near the city of Worms, which is about 60 kilometers (37 miles) south of Germany's financial capital Frankfurt am Main.

The grape varieties affected are Riesling and Sauvignon blanc.

Authorities said the alleged perpetrators had "acted professionally and with considerable logistical effort."

"Due to the amount of stolen goods, it must be assumed that at least one larger vehicle or several means of transport were used," police said.

Anyone witnessing suspicious people or vehicles near the vineyards between September 6 and Sunday has been asked to contact the police.

Tino Chrupalla, the co-leader of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) with Alice Weidel, hailed the initial forecasts, which predict that his far-right party has more than tripled its share of votes in the local elections in North Rhine-Westphalia. 

"We are a major party and we all bear a great responsibility for Germany," he posted on X. 

The outcome of North Rhine-Westphalia’s local elections gives the federal ruling coalition a lift, according to CDU parliamentary leader Jens Spahn. The coalition led by Friedrich Merz consists of the conservative CDU/CSU block and the center-left SPD.

"The strong result in NRW is the reward for good local work and gives the coalition in Berlin a tailwind," said the native of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW).

Spahn described the outcome of the municipal vote as motivation for "calm, pragmatic work," which he said voters clearly value. But he warned that the surge of the far right, illustrated by the increasing support for the AfD, must be a wake-up call. According to the lawmaker, this shows that issues like poverty-driven migration, welfare abuse and failed integration "must not be taboo" and require concrete action.

Following the Sunday vote in Germany's NRW state, projections indicate the CDU will secure 34.2% support, roughly matching its historically poor 34.3% in 2020. The SPD followed with 22.6%, down 1.7 points. The AfD more than tripled its 2020 result, reaching 16.4%.

Following the NRW vote, the Green Party is due to win 11.7% of the vote — a massive drop compared to 20% they won in the 2020 municipal election.

On Sunday, the Greens federal co-chair Felix Banaszak said the party would have to wait and see "where we end up."

He described the poor result as a sign of the current mood, saying ecological and progressive politics are facing headwinds, not only in Germany but elsewhere.

Banaszak said the Greens are in a difficult position that is partly of their own making.

He also acknowledged mistakes made by the previous ruling coalition led by former Chancellor Olaf Scholz, which also included the Green Party.

Banaszak said a party does not lose eight percentage points "if it did everything right."

An elderly man collapsed and died at a polling station in the city of Krefeld, northwest of the NRW state capital Düsseldorf.

The polling station was set up inside a retirement home, but the man was not one of the facility's residents. A spokesman for the city said the man had come to vote with his wife in the afternoon.

Someone at the polling station tried to resuscitate him on site, but their efforts were not successful.

Initial findings show that the elderly man had a pre-existing medical condition, according to the Rheinische Post newspaper.

The conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) emerged as the strongest party in North Rhine-Westphalia's municipal elections, while the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) made major gains.

The center-left Social Democrats (SPD) and Greens lost ground, according to a forecast by public broadcaster WDR.

The CDU took 34%, roughly matching its historically weak 34.3% result in 2020. The SPD came second with 22.5%, slightly down from 24.3% five years ago.

The AfD more than tripled its vote share to 16.5% from 5.1% in 2020. The Greens suffered heavy losses, dropping to 11.5% after a record 20% in the last local election.

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) hopes to gain ground in today's regional election in North Rhine-Westphalia — with the outcome also seen as a litmus test for the federal government led by moderate conservative Friedrich Merz.

Chancellor Merz is backed by the ruling coalition comprised of his own Christian Democrats (CDU), the Bavaria-based conservative CSU, and center-left Social Democrats (SDP). 

The CDU is expected to lose some seats to the AfD in the regional election, but the SDP  — already a junior partner in Merz's government — is likely to suffer much heavier loses. The SPD faces an especially tough battle in the cities such as Gelsenkirchen or Duisburg in the Ruhr area, once a beating heart of Germany's industry.

Political scientist Oliver Lembcke points out that the AfD connects housing shortages, high rents or bad schools with immigration. 

Subsequently, strong results for the AfD could amp up pressure on the governing coalition in Berlin, especially when it comes to questions of immigration, internal security and other social issues.

Read our full analysis here.

An intoxicated man, scaled a 50-meter (165-foot) church roof in the southern city of Landshut, in order to take a picture on his mobile phone, the German news agency DPA reported, citing police.

His actions prompted a large emergency response, during which he was rescued with a turntable ladder, police said.

According to a police report, the 24-year-old managed to climb over scaffolding before making his way on the the nave of St Martin's Church on Saturday evening.

He then climbed onto the 50-meter high ridge, sat down and took a photo of the  view.

He suffered minor scrapes but now faces charges of trespassing and causing damage to property and he will also have to foot the bill of the rescue operation, police said.

The death of seven candidates from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) during the election campaign provoked much online speculation, and even drew comment from the party's billionaire sympathizer, Elon Musk, who called the deaths "weird."

Although it was the highest number of deaths in any party in the run-up to Sunday's elections, nine candidates from other parties also passed away in the preelection period, according to official data.

A spokesman for the state of North Rhine-Westphalia's election commissioner told the DPA news agency that the number of deaths among candidates was "not significantly higher" than in previous campaigns.

Nonetheless, party co-leader Alice Weidel seemed to condone conspiracy theories about the deaths by reposting an article by retired economist Stefan Homburg stating that the number of AfD candidates' deaths was "statistically almost impossible."

But Martin Vincentz, the leader of the AfD's chapter in the state, backed police in saying that no evidence of foul play had emerged. 

He did suggest, however, that the speculation about possible criminal causes of death reflected "the often ruthless battle that has been waged against the AfD for years" by German authorities.

The party, the strongest opposition group in Germany's parliament, is under investigation by domestic intelligence services as a "suspected" case of right-wing extremism at the national level. 

Local elections in North Rhine-Westphalia take place every five years. There are about 13.7 million eligible voters, who will be choosing city and municipal councils, county councils, mayors and district administrators in altogether 427 municipalities.

How many candidates are up?

Voters will be choosing among 20,000 candidates representing all the five main parties, as well as groupings that operate only at a regional or municipal level and independents.

What are the five main parties taking part?

Candidates are being put forward, though not in all municipalities, by Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative Christian Democrats (CDU), his junior coalition partners the center-left Social Democrats, the socialist Left Party, the pro-environment Green Party, the business-friendly Free Democrats (FDP) and the far-right populist Alternative for Germany (AfD).

What are the top contests?

The mayors of the state capital, Düsseldorf, and North Rhine-Westphalia's most-populous city, Cologne, will be among the posts determined by the results of the election.

Why does it matter?

The local elections are seen as a barometer of political sentiment in Germany, with the anti-immigrant AfD under particular scrutiny.

Germany is having a nationwide Day of Open Monuments on Sunday that will see 6,000 monuments open to the public.

The German Foundation for Monument Protection says visitors will be able to visit a wide range of sites, from historic homes and brewery cellars to church towers, factories and bunkers.

More than 8,000 events and 450 guided tours are planned, with most activities free of charge.

"You owe these experiences and private insights to almost 10,000 people who decided that their favorite places were a must-see," said chair of the German Foundation for Monument Protection, Steffen Skudelny.

"As monument conservationists, your hosts are proud to have prepared the buildings for the present and the future. You should accept such an invitation!" Skudelny said.