FDP State Leader Rülke: Failure Was Also Due to the Traffic Light Coalition - Baden-Württemberg election crushes FDP as support collapses to 4.4%
The 2026 Baden-Württemberg state election saw a sharp decline for the Free Democratic Party (FDP), which dropped from 10.5% to just 4.4% of the vote. This result means the party will lose its seats in the state parliament after failing to cross the 5% threshold. State leader Hans-Ulrich Rülke has since announced his resignation following the heavy defeat.
Voter turnout reached 69.6%, up from 63.8% in 2021. By mid-afternoon on election day, participation stood at 41.34%, compared to 30.57% at the same time five years earlier. However, the figure remains below the historic high of 80.0% in 1972 and above the low of 53.4% in 2006.
Rülke pointed to multiple reasons for the FDP's poor performance. He blamed the collapse of the federal 'traffic light' coalition in 2024, which fell apart over disagreements on the national budget, Germany's debt brake, and economic policy. Voters, he argued, had lost trust in the alliance of the SPD, Greens, and FDP.
The outgoing leader also noted a shift in support towards the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). He described the election as a two-party contest between the Christian Democrats (CDU) and the Greens, leaving smaller parties like the FDP sidelined.
The FDP's vote share more than halved, dropping from 10.5% in 2021 to 4.4% in 2026. With Rülke stepping down, the party now faces a period of rebuilding outside the state parliament. The election results reflect broader dissatisfaction with the former federal coalition and a growing shift in voter preferences.
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