Landshut's election reshapes city council with CSU victory and AfD gains
Landshut's city council election has brought significant shifts in political representation. The Christian Social Union (CSU) emerged as the strongest force, while the Greens retained second place despite a slight decline. Meanwhile, the far-right AfD made notable gains, securing third position.
The CSU saw a strong recovery, gaining roughly seven percentage points to reach 28.9% of the vote. This result gives them 13 seats in the 44-seat council, making them the largest faction. Their success contrasts with the Greens, who, despite coming second with 20.1%, lost some support compared to their 2020 high.
The AfD improved its standing, taking 11.2% of the vote and winning five seats. This marks a clear increase for the far-right party. The Free Voters, however, faced a minor setback, dropping to 9.2% and losing one seat, now holding four. The SPD made modest gains, securing exactly 10.0% of the vote and adding two seats for a total of five. The Left Party narrowly missed the three-seat threshold but still won two seats with 5.5%. Newer groups also made an impact: the 'Future Landshut' list and the ÖDP each secured two seats with 4.5% and 3.5%, respectively. The Young Union and FDP each took one seat with 3.2% and 2.9%. In the district council race, voter turnout rose to 64.8%, up from 60.9% in 2020. Claudia Geilersdorfer (CSU) saw a major jump to 30.8%, while Alfred Holzner (FW) led with 43.1%. The SPD's Ruth Müller gained 4.8 points, reaching 12.3%, and the Greens' Franziska Schmidt took 7.3%. A runoff will now decide the final outcome. In Landshut city, the mayoral race will also go to a runoff between Thomas Haslinger (CSU/JU) at 37.0% and Christoph Rabl (Greens) at 20.2%. The Bavaria Party, meanwhile, failed to return to the council.
The election results confirm the CSU's dominance in Landshut, while the Greens and AfD hold key positions. Smaller parties and new lists have also secured representation, reflecting a diverse political landscape. The upcoming runoffs will determine the final leadership in both the city and district councils.
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