Germany: CDU ahead in Lower Saxony local election

Here is a roundup of top stories from and about Germany on the weekend of Friday, September 11 through Sunday, September 13:

Municipal elections in Lower Saxony provided a sigh of relief to the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), currently in the spotlight in the wake of gains by the far-right AfD in the state of Saxony-Anhalt regional elections last week.

According to a projection by Infratest dimap published by German broadcaster NDR, the CDU held 27.7% of the vote, ahead of the SPD at 24.5% and the AfD, with 16.5%.

The Greens came in fourth with 13.6%, followed by The Left at 5.9% and the FDP 3.6%.

CDU state leader Sebastian Lechner was optimistic hours before the projections were released, saying the CDU could buck the national trend in Lower Saxony.

"As you know, these local elections did not exactly take place under easy circumstances. We, too, have noticed the discontent over Berlin," Lechner said, acknowledging that his party had a "credibility problem" that should be addressed.

The results in Lower Saxony was being closely watched by Chancellor Merz, especially as his CDU is expected to face a debacle next Sunday in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where support for the party recently plummeted to 7% in polls

Bavarian State Premier and Christian Social Union (CSU) leader Markus Söder warned about the political consequences of the far-right AfD's recent win in the state of Saxony-Anhalt.

"There could be no better invitation, a penalty kick with no goalkeeper, for the AfD at this point," Söder asserted.

Söder made the comments ahead of a closed-door meeting of the CSU executive committee in Munich on Sunday.

The Bavarian leader, whose conservative CSU is a sister party to the ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU) , said that government work must become better and faster; mistakes must be avoided; communication must improve and focus "on the essentials. That could lead to success."

Söder said the Saxony-Anhalt result must be seen as a wake-up call that cannot be ignored. More optimism is needed now, "but we already know what the hour has struck."

Söder said high energy prices in particular are a reason for urgent action: developments in Saudi Arabia "could mean once again that we must urgently address the issue of energy prices in Germany, because they cannot remain at this high level in the long term."

The mayoral election in Wolfsburg, home to the global headquarters of German car giant Volkswagen , has now been decided.

According to public broadcaster NDR, incumbent Dennis Weilmann ( CDU ) won with 50.1% of the vote and will therefore remain mayor.

He won by a wide margin over Karsten Schneider ( SPD ) and Thomas Schlick ( AfD ), who received 15.5% and 14.1%, respectively.

Meanwhile, according to the preliminary final results, a runoff election is necessary for the mayoral race in Oldenburg.

Ulf Prange (SPD) and Jascha Rohr, an independent candidate, who were considered favorites, received the most votes.

Prange secured 33.16% of the vote, while Rohr trailed closely behind with 30.54%.

For the first time, a woman has been elected mayor of Wilhelmshaven, which is home to Germany's largest naval base.

Eva Maria Haarmann (Independent) won approximately 55% of the vote. Volker Block (SPD) received just under 22%.

Spain won the bronze medal at the women's basketball World Cup in Berlin, beating the host team, Germany, 81-58.

Spain dominated their spirited opponents. Top scorer Iyana Martin was one assist away from a double-double with 20 points and a game-best nine assists.

The Germans fought back to trail by just four at halftime, but Spain held the hosts to just 22 points in the second half to secure the victory.

Later on Sunday, the 11-time champion United States will face first-time finalist France in a rematch of the gold medal match from the 2024 Paris Olympics, which the Americans won 67:66.

The polling station closed at 6:00 p.m. (16:00 GMT) for the Lower Saxony local elections.

One and a half hours before closing, at 4:30 p.m., voter turnout stood at 50.67%, meaning that one in two eligible voters had cast their ballot.

According to the state election commission, turnout was only 43.99% at the same time in the 2021 elections. The Commission described this as a "significant increase."

The overall turnout for the 2021 local elections, including postal votes, was 57%.

Voter turnout in Lower Saxony has been higher than it was during the 2021 local elections. In some places, voters had to wait to cast their ballots.

According to NDR reporters, wait times in Hanover's Südstadt district were as long as 40 minutes. Long lines formed at polling places in Hanover and other locations.

The polling stations will close at 6 p.m. local time (1600 GMT).

The initial results from the direct mayoral elections are not expected until 7 p.m., while the preliminary statewide district results are not expected until Monday morning.

Politicians have reacted with horror to an apparent antisemitic attack in Berlin on the night into Friday.

A group of men verbally abused a woman with antisemitic slurs on Torstrasse in the central district of Mitte before one of them attacked the 43-year-old with a broken bottle, according to police.

The Left Party in Berlin stated that this particular weekend, when Jews celebrate the New Year holiday of Rosh Hashanah, should "be filled with joy, hope, and a sense of new beginnings. Instead, a Jewish woman in Berlin had to defend herself against physical violence."

The party stressed that it was unacceptable and added that wearing a Star of David must "always and everywhere be possible without danger."

Meanwhile, Werner Graf, leader of the Green Party faction in the Berlin House of Representatives, spoke about the "growing antisemitism coming from all political quarters."

Graf said one of the next state government's "central tasks" would be to intensify the fight against antisemitism. Elections for the Berlin House of Representatives and the district councils will be held this coming weekend.

A hiker in the German Alps was convinced he was about to be attacked by bears on Saturday evening, prompting him to call a police hotline.