基民盟赢得下萨克森州地方选举 默茨面临后续考验CDU Wins Lower Saxony Local Polls as Merz Faces Tougher Tests

在德国下萨克森州举行的全州市镇与地方议会选举中，约630万名合资格选民参与投票，总体投票率达到64.6%，较2021年地方选举的57%出现明显回升。根据9月14日公布的初步计票结果，弗里德里希·默茨领导的基民盟以27.2%的得票率位列全州各政党之首，相较于2021年选举时取得的31.7%有所微降，但依然在地方行政区层面保住了第一大党的地位。

Around 6.3 million eligible voters participated in local council, district administration, and mayoral elections across the northwestern state of Lower Saxony, pushing overall turnout up to 64.6% from 57% in 2021. Preliminary results released on Monday confirmed that Chancellor Friedrich Merz's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) secured first place at the district level with 27.2% of the vote, holding its position as the strongest political force despite a modest decline from the 31.7% recorded five years earlier.

在下萨克森州联合执政的两个主要政党得票率均出现下滑。由州长领导的社会民主党得票率为24.6%，较2021年的30%大幅下降；执政初级伙伴绿党得票率为14.1%，低于2021年的15.9%。在其他较小政党方面，左翼党获得6%的选票，自由民主党得票率为3.7%。全州范围内未决出的地方行政长官与市长席位定于9月27日展开第二轮投票决选。

The two governing coalition parties in Lower Saxony both registered drops in voter backing. The Social Democrats (SPD), who lead the state government, finished in second place with 24.6%, representing a sharp decrease from their 30% showing in 2021. Their junior coalition partner, the Greens, received 14.1% of the vote, down from 15.9% in the prior municipal election. Among smaller parties, The Left secured 6% support while the Free Democratic Party (FDP) gathered 3.7%. Runoff contests across the state are scheduled for September 27.

在本次下萨克森州选举中，极右翼德国选择党在全州范围内获得15.9%的选票，相比2021年地方选举成绩增长超过两倍，位列第三。由于德国西部各州向来被视为该党支持度相对薄弱的区域，这一显著上升成为外界评估其在西部拓展态势的标尺。

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) placed third in the Lower Saxony local elections with 15.9% of the total vote, more than tripling its showing from the 2021 municipal contests. Because the party has traditionally drawn less support in western German states than in eastern regions, the outcome served as a direct gauge of how the AfD is currently expanding its appeal across western constituencies.

在重点城市市长选举方面，大众汽车总部所在地沃尔夫斯堡的市长席位已确定结果。德国公共广播联盟北德广播电视台报道显示，基民盟现任市长丹尼斯·魏尔曼以50.1%的得票率直接胜选连任，大幅领先得票率为15.5%的社民党候选人卡斯滕·施奈德以及得票率为14.1%的选择党候选人托马斯·施利克。与此形成对照，奥尔登堡市长选举未能在首轮决出胜负，社民党候选人乌尔夫·普朗格与独立候选人雅沙·罗尔得票领先，双方将在决选中展开角逐。

Individual mayoral contests across the state produced contrasting municipal outcomes. In Wolfsburg, the industrial city hosting Volkswagen's global headquarters, incumbent CDU Mayor Dennis Weilmann secured outright re-election with 50.1% of the vote, finishing well ahead of Social Democrat challenger Karsten Schneider at 15.5% and AfD candidate Thomas Schlick at 14.1%, according to public broadcaster NDR. Meanwhile, the mayoral race in Oldenburg remained undecided after the first round, requiring a runoff between SPD candidate Ulf Prange and independent contender Jascha Rohr, who emerged as the top vote-getters.

在地方选举结果明朗后，基民盟下萨克森州领导人塞巴斯蒂安·莱希纳对党派在本地抵御全国性不利趋势表达了信心。莱希纳同时承认，本次地方选举在复杂的政治环境下展开，党内已经察觉到选民对柏林联邦执政层面的不满，并指出基民盟存在需要正视并解决的信誉问题。

Following the release of the local election results, CDU Lower Saxony state leader Sebastian Lechner expressed confidence that his party could resist broader national headwinds in the region. Lechner acknowledged that the municipal vote took place under difficult circumstances, noting that party officials had detected voter discontent directed at the federal government in Berlin and stating directly that the CDU faces a credibility problem that must be addressed.

基民盟的姊妹党巴伐利亚基督教社会联盟主席马库斯·索德尔在慕尼黑举行的高层闭门会议前发表评论，警告选择党在萨克森-安哈尔特州的胜利是执政阵营无法忽视的警钟。索德尔表示，联邦政府的运作必须变得更好、更迅速，减少失误并改善沟通，同时将停滞视为选择党扩张的最大动力。他还指出，沙特阿拉伯局势发展要求德国必须紧急解决高能源价格问题，强调国内能源成本长期处于高位不可持续。

Bavarian State Premier and Christian Social Union leader Markus Söder issued direct warnings ahead of a closed-door party executive meeting in Munich, describing the AfD's earlier victory in Saxony-Anhalt as an unmistakable wake-up call. Söder stated that governing work across the conservative bloc must become faster and more effective, with fewer policy errors and sharper communication, adding that political stagnation serves as the primary fuel for far-right growth. He specifically highlighted soaring domestic energy costs as a pressing issue requiring immediate federal action, pointing out that recent international developments in Saudi Arabia mean Germany cannot allow energy prices to remain at current elevated levels over the long term.

下萨克森州的地方选举投票仅让弗里德里希·默茨领导的执政党获得短暂喘息，更为严峻的选战考验紧随其后。德国东部梅克伦堡-前波美拉尼亚州与城市州柏林定于下周日举行州级选举，这两场投票将成为检验联邦政局走向的关键节点。

The local election outcome in Lower Saxony offers only a temporary respite for Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his party, as far tougher political tests loom in the coming days. Voters in the eastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and the city-state of Berlin are scheduled to head to the polls next Sunday for decisive state elections that will gauge the standing of the governing coalition.

在梅克伦堡-前波美拉尼亚州，选情对执政阵营而言尤为不利。最新民调数据显示，极右翼选择党预计将在此次州选中取得强劲进展，而基民盟在该州的支持率已跌至7%，面临严峻挑战。外界正密切审视这一东部州的计票结果，以评估德国东部与西部选民政治倾向的进一步分化。

The contest in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is drawing particularly intense scrutiny due to sharply adverse polling for the ruling Christian Democrats. While the far-right Alternative for Germany is widely projected to make strong gains across the eastern state, recent public opinion surveys show support for the CDU plummeting to just 7%, pointing to severe electoral headwinds as observers monitor widening divergence between eastern and western electorates.