Olaf Scholz’s German Social Democratic Party won a test regional election in Lower Saxony on Sunday, according to estimates by television broadcasters, at a time when the chancellor is seeing his unpopularity grow in the country with inflation.
The Social Democrats are attributed 32.5% compared to 33.5% of the votes in this regional state, the second largest in Germany, which they have led in coalition since 2013, ahead of the conservative party of former Chancellor Angela Merkel, which obtained 27.5%. of the vote, according to the ARD and ZDF channels.
However, both parties are down compared to the previous elections in 2017, while the far right has made considerable progress, reaching around 12% according to early estimates, i.e. double its score in 2017.
Scholz under fire from critics in recent months
This election was “very important” for Olaf Scholz, estimated the German political scientist Karl-Rudolf Korte on the ZDF channel, it constituted “a referendum on the government’s policy” in the face of the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis. However, the Chancellor has seen criticism of him grow in recent months, in the face of rampant inflation and energy supply problems.
It tried to respond to this very recently by announcing a vast €200bn plan to limit rising gas prices which is, however, drawing criticism from its European partners.
Berlin is accused of walking alone thinking of its own interests and of neglecting European solidarity.
Source: BFM TV
