AfD bankruptcy in district elections: No victory for the right-wing populists!

AfD bankruptcy in district elections: No victory for the right-wing populists!

Vorpommern-Rügen, Deutschland - The district elections in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania did not produce any successes for the AfD on May 25, 2025. Despite the positive forecasts of the party and their candidates, the outcome for the AfD was disappointing. Carlos Dias Rodrigues only came to 24.1 percent of the vote in the Vorpommern-Rügen district and had to thus have the party-free incumbent Dr. Stefan Kerth defeated, who achieved 49.2 percent and received support from the CDU, as Compact reported.

Inken Arndt achieved 38.6 percent in the district of Vorpommern-Greifswald, but remained behind the CDU candidate Michael Sack, who received 39.4 percent. The best appearance was Enrico Schuldt, who achieved the highest result for the AfD in the Mecklenburg Lake District with 41.5 percent, but was also defeated by CDU candidate Thomas Müller. This means that the aim of the AfD of winning a district administrator in Mecklenburg remains unmatched.

voter participation and challenges

The turnout in the first rounds of the district elections was between 44.8 and 50.6 percent. Political scientist Jochen Müller predicted a higher turnout in the stab elections on May 25, 2025, but skeptically rated the prospects for an AfD election victory. Traditionally, this low turnout favors the established parties, whose voters regularly walk to the urn, while the AfD has difficulties to be able to mobilize enough in municipal elections, such as