CDU leads survey: 39% of Rhineland-Palatinate residents want change!

CDU leads survey: 39% of Rhineland-Palatinate residents want change!

The current SWR survey is a topic of conversation in Rhineland-Palatinate. According to the “Rhineland-Palatinate Trend”, the CDU is the strongest political force in the country with 30 percent, well ahead of the SPD, which is at 23 percent. The general secretary of the CDU Rhineland-Palatinate, Johannes Steiniger, sees the results as a snapshot and is optimistic about future election results. His goal is to work step by step towards electoral success in the upcoming state elections in 2026 and to win the trust of voters in the process.

The survey also shows that the CDU's leading candidate Gordon Schnieder was able to gain five percentage points in the direct election of the Prime Minister. He has been actively traveling across the country for the past few months. In terms of areas of competence, the CDU has achieved significant advances in the areas of economy, security, education and asylum policy, which is reflected in the wishes of voters: 39 percent of those surveyed would like a CDU-led state government.

Voter mood and competition

The survey, conducted between May 27 and June 3, 2025, includes 1,140 eligible voters. It shows that the CDU has fallen by two points compared to the survey in December 2024. The AfD, on the other hand, could gain three points to 17 percent. The Greens remain at 11 percent, while the Free Voters are at 4 percent and the FDP at 3 percent; the latter means a loss of one point for the FDP. The left reached 5 percent. Despite the slight decline in the CDU, 47 percent of those surveyed are satisfied with the work of the current traffic light coalition (SPD, Greens, FDP).

For the direct election of the Prime Minister, 40 percent of the votes would go to the SPD incumbent Alexander Schweitzer, while 17 percent would vote for Gordon Schnieder. However, 43 percent of those surveyed are undecided or do not provide any information about direct voting.

Social opinions on the AfD

An interesting finding of the survey is the perception of the AfD. 69 percent of those surveyed consider the party to be right-wing extremist, while 83 percent of AfD supporters do not mind this classification as long as the party addresses the “right issues”. These shifts in opinion will continue to shape the political landscape in Rhineland-Palatinate.

The next state election is scheduled for March 22, 2026, which gives parties additional motivation to rethink their strategies and programs to convince voters. All eyes are on the CDU, which, according to Steiniger, is striving to continue on its course and make an attractive offer to voters.