Center-right bloc victor in German vote

VIENNA — Germany’s center-right Christian Democratic Union bloc scored a clear victory Sunday in northern state of Schleswig-Holstein, according to election-night projections.

Sunday’s election for the state legislature was seen as a test for Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrat-led coalition government amid its handling of the war in Ukraine. The vote gave the Christian Democratic Union, the party of former Chancellor Angela Merkel — which is in opposition to Scholz’s government at the national level — a strong victory after a string of electoral losses.

Projections from ARD and ZDF television based on exit polls and early counting of votes put Sunday’s support for the Christian Democratic Union at around 43%, well ahead of the other parties. Scholz’s center-left Social Democrats appeared to drop to third place behind the Greens, with projections showing them winning around 16% compared with 17% to 18% for the Greens.

Compared with five years ago, the Christian Democratic Union and the Greens on Sunday made significant gains while the Social Democrats sustained heavy losses.

Based on the projections Sunday, incumbent governor Daniel Günther, whose Christian Democratic Union has led Schleswig-Holstein since 2017, governing in a coalition with the environmentalist Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats, is on course to secure another term. Germany’s northernmost state is home to approximately 2.9 million people.

In recent weeks, Scholz, who took office in December, has faced criticism for his approach to the war in Ukraine.

Germany broke with tradition after Russia’s invasion to supply arms to Ukraine but has been criticized by Kyiv for perceived hesitancy and slowness in providing material.

It was the second of three state elections within two months that will set the political tone in Germany this year.