Blow for Scholz as conservatives win key German state vote

16/5/2022 4:19

        Voters backed the incumbent conservative governor and dealt a blow to Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats on Sunday in Germany’s most populous state, projections based on partial counts showed.
        
        Figures published by public broadcaster WDR forecast the Christian Democrats making small gains in the North Rhine-Westphalia state election to take 35.7% of the vote.
        
        The Social Democrats slumped to 26.7%, while the environmentalist Greens more than doubled their share with 18.2% — a record for the party in the state.
        
        The pro-business Free Democrats saw a big drop in support and were on course to get 5.6% of the vote.
        
        Its national leader, German Finance Minister Christian Lindner, called it a “disastrous defeat” for his party. The far-right Alternative for Germany were also projected to take 5.6%.