German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative CDU faces a regional election battle Sunday in the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate, now held by the centre-left Social Democratic Party.
Merz’s Christian Democratic Union has enjoyed a narrow poll lead over the SPD — their coalition partners at the national level — who have ruled the mid-sized state for 35 years.
Polling third is the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which spells a greater threat to the two centrist parties in several state elections in September in the country’s ex-communist east.
The picturesque state of Rhineland-Palatinate, bordering France, Belgium and Luxembourg and with a population of about four million, is known for its steep river valleys, many lined with vineyards and topped by castles.
It is also home to heavy industry, including steelmakers and chemicals giant BASF, and hosts several US military facilities including the sprawling Ramstein Air Base.
The state’s SPD premier Alexander Schweitzer, 52, has campaigned in hopes of holding together his current coalition with the Greens and the liberal Free Democrats.
But polls suggest the CDU’s top candidate Gordon Schnieder, 50, could put his party back in power there for the first time since 1991.
A CDU victory would be a shot in the arm for Merz, who has faced poor popularity ratings and struggled to meet his campaign pledge of rebooting Europe’s biggest economy after years of stagnation.
