institute of europe
the institute of europe of the russian academy of sciences
Analytical paper IE RAS No 29, 2025 «Local Elections in North Rhine – Westphalia 2025: Signals for Federal Politics»
- 18 September 2025
IE RAS presents Analytical papers of IE RAS No 29, 2025 « Local Elections in North Rhine – Westphalia 2025: Signals for Federal Politics» (in Russian) by Vladislav Belov, Candidate of Sciences (Economics), Deputy Director, Head of the Department for Countries Studies, Head of the Center for German Studies, IE RAS.
Local elections in North Rhine – Westphalia, held on September 14, 2025, became a key indicator of the current political balance in Germany. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) reaffirmed its status as the leading force, while the Social Democratic Party (SPD) suffered serious loss, provoking crisis moods among its members and weakening its role in the federal government. Alliance 90/The Greens also recorded a weak result, highlighting the limited mobilization potential of the party beyond the federal level. Alternative for Germany (AfD) made significant gains, consolidating its role as the third force in the most populous federal state, while The Left achieved an unexpected success, expanding its local presence. These results reflect not only regional particularities but also nationwide developments: the rise of the right, the erosion of traditional parties, and the growing fragmentation of the party system. They are essential for forecasting Germany’s political dynamics.
