Hesse: Rhein's CDU drops to record-low 25% in poll
According to Infratest dimap, the CDU in Hesse has lost seven points since the start of the year. The party is also slipping in North Rhine-Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein.
Symbolic image · Photo: Martin Kraft / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)
The Christian Democrats in Hesse, who have led the state government for 27 years, have hit a record low. In a new Infratest dimap poll, premier Boris Rhein's party would win 25% in a state election, seven points less than at the start of the year. Hesse's next state election is due in 2028. Rhein opposes the federal government's planned tax increases on alcohol, tobacco and sugar, intended to close budget gaps.
A Handelsblatt commentary sees a broader trend: dissatisfaction with Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the federal government is dragging down the CDU at state level, too. In North Rhine-Westphalia, Hendrik Wüst's CDU stood at 35% at the start of the year but has recently polled between 26% and 29%. In Schleswig-Holstein, Daniel Günther's CDU has fallen below 30%.