CDU rallies 1,100 supporters in Trier ahead of Rhineland-Palatinate election

A packed Europahalle sets the stage for the CDU's bold push to end 32 years of SPD leadership. Can Merz's speech turn the tide before the election?

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2026 April 25 . 2:02 PM

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The image shows a group of people sitting in chairs in front of a crowd of people, some of whom are... — The image shows a group of people sitting in chairs in front of a crowd of people, some of whom are holding cameras. There are banners with text and images in the background, as well as pillars, railings, windows, and a wall. At the center of the image is a podium with a microphone, indicating that this is a press conference for the CDMX 2017 event.

Before the Election - Merz is Coming to Trier on Ash Wednesday - CDU rallies 1,100 supporters in Trier ahead of Rhineland-Palatinate election

In just over four weeks, Rhineland-Palatinate will elect a new state parliament—and the CDU is now receiving backing from the chancellor.

Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz will travel to Trier for the political Ash Wednesday event (starting at 5:30 p.m.), where he aims to give his party a boost ahead of the upcoming state election with a keynote speech. Gordon Schnieder, the CDU's lead candidate in Rhineland-Palatinate, will also address the gathering.

On March 22, voters in Rhineland-Palatinate will choose a new state legislature. The CDU hopes to reclaim the state chancellery in Mainz after decades under SPD leadership—the Social Democrats have governed the state since 1991.

According to the CDU in Rhineland-Palatinate, its event at Trier's Europahalle has been sold out since last week, with more than 1,100 attendees expected.