German Chancellor Merz's conservatives lead in state election, forecast shows

Gordon Schnieder, top candidate of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, next to his wife Diane, casts his vote in the federal state election of Rhineland-Palatinate, at a polling station in Birresborn, Germany, March 22, 2026. REUTERS/Thilo Schmuelgen

BERLIN, March 22 (Reuters) - German Chancellor ⁠Friedrich Merz's conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) held a lead over their ⁠centre-left Social Democrat (SPD) coalition partners in an election in the ‌western state of Rhineland-Palatinate on Sunday, a forecast on public television showed.

The first forecast on the ARD broadcaster after polls closed showed the CDU at 30.5% of the vote, ahead ​of the SPD at 27%, pointing to a ⁠likely victory for Merz after ⁠his party narrowly lost an election in the neighbouring state of Baden-Wuerttemberg ⁠on ‌March 8.