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German SPD wins Saarland vote in boost for Scholz

28 March 2022 05:06 (UTC +04:00)

Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) scored a clear victory in a regional election in the state of Saarland on Sunday, according to preliminary results, helping Chancellor Olaf Scholz consolidate his power ahead of other regional votes this year, APA reports quoting Reuters.

The centre-left party will have enough seats for an absolute majority in the small western state, the first regional vote since the SPD unexpectedly beat the conservatives in a national election last year after 16 years of rule by Angela Merkel.

"Saarland was a first test of the mood after the federal election," said SPD leader Lars Klingbeil, describing the win as a "sensational victory".

According to preliminary results, the SPD won 43.5% of the vote, up 14 percentage points from the last vote, while the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) slumped to 28.5%.

The two parties have ruled Saarland in a conservative-led "grand coalition" since 2012, but the popular regional SPD leader Anke Rehlinger, previously the regional economics minister, said she was ready to rule without a partner.