Schroeder's SPD makes big gains in German state elections

If confirmed this would mean the SPD could rule the state alone instead of in coalition with the smaller Free Democrats (FDP) which got 7.5 per cent. In the state's last election in 1996 the SPD won 39.8 per cent and the CDU took 38.7 per cent.
"A fantastic victory," was how SPD Secretary General Franz Muentefering termed the Rhineland-Palatinate election. He said gains in Baden-Wuerttemberg meant the SPD would play a more powerful role as opposition in the state.

CDU Secretary General Laurenz Meyer admitted that in Rhineland- Palatinate the party "would have hoped for something a bit better."
But the CDU looked set to be returned to office in Baden- Wuerttemberg state with 45.4 per cent, compared with the SPD's 32.3 per cent, according to ZDF television projections.
In the 1996 election the CDU won 41.3 per cent and the SPD got only 25.1 per cent in Baden-Wuerttemberg. Germany's Greens Party, which serve as Schroeder's junior coalition partner in the national government, suffered a big loss of support in both states.

The Greens got 5 per cent in Rhineland-Palatinate, according to ZDF, down from 6.9 per cent in 1996. This puts the Greens on a knife's edge given that under German election law a party must win at least 5 per cent to win seats in parliament.

In Baden-Wuerttemberg the Greens won 8 per cent, down from 12.1 per cent in the last election. "Massive losses for the Greens," said ZDF. Analysts said comments by Schroeder's Greens environment minister, Juergen Trittin, that one could not be proud to be German had driven voters from the party.
Observers said Trittin's future now looked wobbly in Schroeder's centre-left national coalition government with the Greens as junior partner.
The elections in the two key states are widely seen as the final big test before next year's general election in which Schroeder is seeking reelection.

In Baden-Wuerttemberg state the far-right Republicans party were crushed, winning just 4.7 per cent according to ZDF - down from 9.1 per cent in 1996. This result would mean the far-right party would be tossed out of the regional assembly. dpa lm

(ba/dpa)