Overview

• State leader Hans-Ulrich Rülke kicked off the 2026 push by presenting proposals to abolish Regionalverbände and Regierungspräsidien and to suspend the state building code.
• The program would cut reporting and documentation duties for firms with fewer than 20 employees and curb data collection the party deems unnecessary.
• Polls hover around 5% after the federal coalition collapse in late 2024, down from 10.5% in the 2021 Landtag election, putting the FDP’s parliamentary presence at risk.
• Rülke calls 2026 the “Mutter aller Wahlen” and says his political career would end if he fails to lead the party back into the Landtag on March 8, 2026.
• He names the AfD as the chief rival, signals openness to a coalition with the Greens to block AfD or Linke participation, and voices a preference for partnering with the CDU under Manuel Hagel.