SPD loses power in German state election, AfD reaches record high

The Social Democratic Party (SPD) has lost its long-held majority in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) won the state election, which means a change in government leadership there.

This defeat for the SPD, described as a "debacle" and a "synchronized flop," is causing internal pressure for a change of course within the party. Meanwhile, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) achieved a record result in the state.