Voters in the northwestern German state of Lower Saxony cast their ballots on Sunday in a regional election amid an acute energy crisis and a looming recession.

Provisional results showed Chancellor Olaf Scholz's center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), led by incumbent Premier Stephan Weil, 63, in first place with 33.4% of the vote. That compares with 36.9% in the last elections in 2017.

The result bucks a general trend in the rest of Germany, where the SPD has been losing approval, particularly amid the cost-of-living crisis currently affecting the country. Pundits give credit for the victory to Weil, who, as two-time premier, is likely seen as a safe pair of hands in times of economic crisis.

The conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the party of former Chancellor Angela Merkel and partner in the state's coalition government, received 28.1% (2017: 33.6%).

With Germans' soaring energy bills dominating the race over local issues like agricultural policy and a teacher shortage, the election was seen as a key test of confidence for Scholz's coalition government in Berlin.

"Never have I seen so many question marks and worries on citizens' faces," Weil told the German business magazine WirtschaftsWoche ahead of the election, adding that this election campaign had been "the most difficult of my life."

SPD-Green coalition likely

The environmentalist Greens, who are a member of Germany's ruling federal coalition along with the SPD and Free Democrats (FDP), were in third place at 14.5% of the vote. That is a big enough share for them to become the sole junior party in a potential coalition with the SPD in the state as well. 

Weil has ruled out forming another left-right coalition with the CDU and expressed a preference for an alliance with the Greens — one he already tested in his first premiership.

The leading candidate for the Greens in Lower Saxony, Julia Hamburg, also indicated that her party would be ready to take part in a coalition government. The Greens would do all they could to be able to shape the future of the state over the next five years, she told supporters in Hannover, the state capital. 

The business-focused FDP failed to reach the 5% threshold needed to enter the state parliament, while the far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD) came in at 10.9% — nearly double what it achieved at the last election in 2017. 

Energy on the agenda

One major point of contention in the state has been the federal government's decision to close down Lower Saxony's Emsland nuclear power plant, which is one of three remaining nuclear power plants in Germany.

The CDU's candidate, Bernd Althusmann, who was also economy minister in the state's coalition government, had criticized Berlin's €200 billion ($198 billion) energy relief package as being too late.

Both leading candidates touted Lower Saxony's role in reducing Germany's dependence on Russian gas.

Two of Germany's first liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals are due to be built in the state's ports of Stade and Wilhelmshaven.

However, on Sunday evening Althusmann conceded that his party had failed in its goal of becoming the strongest force in Lower Saxony congratulated the SPD on its victory.

"We humbly accept this vote," he said.

Althusmann also announced that he was stepping down as CDU leader in the state as a consequence of his election defeat.

He did, however, retain his direct mandate in his constituency of Seevetal.

tj,zc/sms (dpa, AFP, Reuters, AP)

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