Young voters rely on the SPD and left: Hamburg's new political design!

Young voters rely on the SPD and left: Hamburg's new political design!

On March 2, 2025, Hamburg elected a new citizen. The preliminary results show that the SPD remains the strongest force with 33.5 percent of the vote, although it is 5.7 percentage points compared to the election of 2020. The Greens also had to accept losses and reached 18.5 percent. While the CDU recorded a significant increase to 19.8 percent, the AfD remained weaker than 8.3 percent than expected. At the same time, the left was able to assert itself in the first time and achieved 11.2 percent, which corresponds to an increase of 12 percentage points compared to the previous election.

The turnout was around 68 percent, which is an increase compared to 63 percent in the last election. Mayor Peter Tschentscher celebrated the SPD's election victory and announced that it would talk to the Greens and the CDU about possible coalitions. According to surveys, 58 percent of the respondents support a coalition of the SPD and the Greens, while 52 percent reject a red-black coalition.

political preferences of young voters

The election behavior of young voters under the age of 30 was particularly striking. This group chose according to t-online the left and 26 percent the SPD. This is in accordance with the general trend that young voters are often not bound to a party in the long term. While the left scored strongly, the Greens lost 11 percentage points in these voters and ended up in third place. This change in the preferences could have party political effects on the future of the Greens in Hamburg.

The opinions of young voters are often not yet consolidated. According to Tagesschau Many of them express specific future fears that they do not search for at the established parties in the middle. It is also pointed out that young voters are strongly shaped by their social environment. Almenara Kamberi, 19, dealt intensively on the election program of the left and particularly appreciates the emphasis on equality. Others, like Angelina Okreke, 19, feel drawn on the left based on social issues.

social framework conditions

Another interesting aspect of choice is the high reputation of Mayor Peter Tschentscher and the expertise of the SPD. 72 percent of the respondents stated that they consider the Hamburg state policy to be more relevant than federal politics. In this context, 83 percent of those entitled to vote have the opinion that the AfD does not fit a cosmopolitan city like Hamburg. This opinion could have significantly influenced the election decision of young voters who tend to prefer a more social policy.

Overall, it can be said that this year's election of citizens in Hamburg not only illustrates a significant change in voters, especially among young people, but also the challenges that the political actors face. A rethink in the campaign and coalition strategies of the established parties could be required at both state and federal level.

For more information about the elections and analyzes, please visit the reporting of NDR .