SPD Wins Hamburg Election but Faces Coalition Decision

The Social Democrats lead with 33.5% of votes, while the CDU and Greens vie for a partnership in the new government.

The SPD, led by Peter Tschentscher, secured 33.5% of the vote in Hamburg's Bürgerschaftswahl, maintaining its position as the leading party despite losing votes compared to 2020.
The CDU experienced significant gains, rising to 19.8% of the vote, overtaking the Greens, who dropped to 18.5% from 24.2% in the previous election.
The SPD now has the option to continue its coalition with the Greens, in place since 2015, or form a new partnership with the CDU, though Tschentscher has expressed a preference for the Greens.
Smaller parties saw mixed results: The Left Party improved its share to 11.2%, the AfD increased to 7.5%, while the FDP and others failed to meet the 5% threshold for parliamentary representation.
Hamburg's complex voting system, allowing voters to distribute up to ten votes across candidates and parties, delayed the final results, with the official outcome expected to be confirmed on March 19.