Election in Germany

CDU/CSU and AfD win in Salzburg’s neighbors

The AfD achieved 26% in Freilassing and second place.

(Bild: Markus Tschepp)

In the municipalities and in the constituency directly on the border, the election results were similar to those across Germany. The AfD is particularly strong in Freilassing.

More than 170,000 Bavarians from Salzburg's immediate neighborhood cast their votes in the Bundestag elections on Sunday. The results were similar to those across the country. However, the CDU's sister party, the CSU, performed even better in the Traunstein constituency. Although the AfD also had the largest increase in this constituency, it fell just short of the nationwide result.

The CSU achieved 38.8 percent in the Traunstein constituency, the AfD 20.1 percent, third place went to the Greens (10.3) ahead of the SPD (9.8). Salzburg's ÖVP leader and future state governor Karoline Edtstadler promptly congratulated him: "(CSU leader, note) Markus Söder has shown what people expect from politics with almost 40 percent approval in Bavaria." The detailed results in the large municipalities are also interesting: For example, in Salzburg's directly adjacent neighboring town of Freilassing.

CSU came first in every municipality
 The AfD came first inevery municipality in the constituency, with 26%. Although the CSU came first in all municipalities, the increase to 31.4 percent was only one percentage point. The Greens saw a mini increase of 0.4 percentage points to 9.4. In Bad Reichenhall, the CSU achieved 37.8 percent ahead of the AfD (20.9), SPD (11) and Greens (10.2). The AfD remained below 20 percent in Berchtesgaden (19). There, the CSU achieved 39.7 percent, with third place going to the Greens (10.3). In Traunstein, the largest town in the constituency, the CSU won (35.2), with second place going to the Greens (16) ahead of the AfD (15) and the SPD (12.8). In Laufen, Oberndorf's neighboring town, the CSU (32.2) won ahead of the AfD (18.9) and the Greens (13.2).

Unlike in Austria, voting in Germany is based on personalized proportional representation. This means that there is a first and a second vote. Candidates are elected directly with the first vote and a party with the second vote. However, the first vote only comes into play if the respective party passes the five percent threshold for the Bundestag with the second vote. The direct mandate in the constituency was secured by Traunstein district administrator Siegfried Walch for the CSU.