Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: SPD seeks to fend off AfD
For nearly three decades, the Social Democrats have governed Germany's northeastern state. If they can fend off the AfD, the result may boost the fortunes of the German government's junior coalition partner.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, a state along Germany's Baltic coast, is renowned for its tourist attractions and historical universities. The region's rich industrial heritage includes shipyards and a former nuclear power plant, now shut down. With a population of just 1.57 million, it is Germany's least densely populated federal state.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has the lowest share of foreign nationals among the country's 16 federal states, with only 6% of its population hailing from abroad. The unemployment rate in the state stands at 8%, above the national average, while the area boasts 16 national parks, more than any other German federal state, and the Mecklenburg Lake District.
The state saw some of the first violent attacks on asylum-seeker accommodations following German reunification, with a particularly incendiary incident in Rostock-Lichtenhagen in August 1992. Former Chancellor Angela Merkel represented the region in the Bundestag for 28 years, and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) has governed the state since then, in coalition with various parties, most recently the Left Party.
SPD candidate Manuela Schwesig leads the polls, campaigning under the slogan "The woman against blue," referring to the AfD's party color. The AfD, however, remains a significant force in the region, with support neck and neck with the SPD. The party's rising popularity underscores deep divisions within Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
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