Niedersaschen at the Polls: What do the Results Mean?

Over the weekend, voters in Niedersachsen took to the polls. Initial results give the Social Democrats under the leadership of Minister President Stephan Weil a win, even though they dropped nearly four percentage points since 2017. The Greens and the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) saw an upswing in support since the last state election. The Christian Democrats lost traction and the Free Democrats may not even clear the five percent hurdle. Given the results, the Social Democrats may break with the Christian Democrats and form a government with the Greens.

Considered a litmus test for the national mood, this state election sends mixed messages for Ampelkoalition at the federal level. Join the ACG for a discussion with journalist Claudia Wohlsperger about the election results – and what they mean for the State of Lower Saxony and at the federal level.

Claudia Wohlsperger is a journalist and reporter with Norddeutscher Rundfunk, where she focuses on regional politics and economic issues. She has been with NDR for over eight years. She has also worked as a journalist and editor at ARD.

She holds a BA from Maastricht University and a MA in Journalism, Media, and Globalization from the University of Hamburg. She also studied at Aarhus University and in Budapest.