SPD fails to end 50-year CDU rule

Mr Gerhard Schroder's hopes of ending 50 years of conservative rule in the southern state of Baden-Wurttemberg were crushed yesterday, despite substantial gains in state elections.

But the German Chancellor had reason for cheer as projections showed the Social Democrats posting gains to retain power in the neighbouring state of Rhineland-Palatinate, a former CDU stronghold.

Mr Schroder's Green Party coalition partners saw their vote halve in BadenWurttemberg while in Rhineland-Palatinate the party was last night skirting the 5 per cent minimum vote required to enter the state parliament. The future of the extreme-right Republikaner party looked bleak as its vote slumped to below 5 per cent in both states, denying it entry to either parliament.

The SPD had hoped to capitalise on perceived voter boredom after 48 years of CDU rule in BadenWurttemberg by drawing attention away from the CDU's achievements, the lowest employment and highest growth in the country.

They spent DM3.5 million (£1.2 million) pushing the "fun" factor of their telegenic candidate, Ms Ute Vogt (36), a lawyer who appealed to voters even if they doubted her credentials.

She managed to increase the SPD vote by 8 per cent, according to projections, to 33 per cent. But in the end voters chose the safe pair of hands of the CDU's Mr Erwin Teufel, the state premier for the last 10 years.

The neighbouring state of Rhineland-Palatinate was once a CDU stronghold until the state fell to the SPD in 1991.

Yesterday the Social Democrats under the Minister-President, Mr Kurt Beck, managed to increase their vote by more than 5 per cent to an estimated 44.5 per cent.

The party stays in power, most likely with its existing coalition partner, the FDP, although support for the liberals fell slightly to an estimated 7.6 per cent.