A big victory for the CDU in the local elections in Germany while the Alternative Party fails to win any city.
The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) made significant gains in local elections in Germany, winning in major cities across North Rhine-Westphalia. The party's candidates won in Dortmund, Leverkusen, and Bielefeld, marking a historic shift in the region's political landscape. On the other hand, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) failed to win any city despite reaching the second rounds in three municipalities.
In Dortmund, Christian Democratic Union candidate Alexander Khaledouti defeated the Social Democratic Party, ending the party's 78-year control over the city, which is the largest working-class city in Germany. Sarah Philipp, the state chair of the Social Democratic Party, described the defeat as "painful."
The Social Democratic Party retained control of Cologne, where Torsten Burmeister won against the Green candidate Breivan Aims, and maintained the mayorships in Oberhausen, Gelsenkirchen, Wuppertal, and Mülheim an der Ruhr. At the same time, the Green Party won in the city of Münster, which was under the control of the Christian Democratic Party, reflecting shifts in urban centers.
Candidates from the Alternative Party lost in Duisburg, Gelsenkirchen, and Hagen, marking the first time in NRW's history that they reached the second rounds. Despite their advancement, they were defeated by large margins against their competitors from the Christian Democratic Union and the Social Democratic Party, highlighting the limited political influence of the far-right in the region.
The results, which included nearly 150 districts and cities, showed the strength of the Christian Democratic Union in rural areas, while the Social Democratic Party maintained its hold on industrial centers. Düsseldorf remained under the control of the Christian Democratic Union, while Bochum stayed with the Social Democratic Party. Analysts see these local elections as an important indicator ahead of the federal elections, suggesting that the major parties have managed to contain the advance of the far-right while competition for control of urban areas continues.