AfD triumphant in Cologne: Strong growth and successes in Chorweiler!

AfD triumphant in Cologne: Strong growth and successes in Chorweiler!

On September 16, 2025, the time has come: the local elections in Cologne have held many surprises for political actors and voters. Especially those 24rhine reports that the Alternative for Germany (AfD) was able to double its share of the vote to over 9 percent. This represents a notable increase compared to the last election in 2020, where the AfD only received 4.38 percent of the vote. A trend that cannot be ignored.

In the center of Cologne, especially in Chorweiler, the AfD received the most votes with a whopping 27.41 percent. This put her at the top of the voting decisions in this district, where the SPD and the CDU only got 23.63 percent and 23.08 percent. This shows that voters in Chorweiler are definitely listening to the AfD's messages and their election campaign.

The OB election and the council faction

In the mayoral election, AfD candidate Matthias Büschges came in fourth place with 8.48 percent of the vote. Nevertheless, the AfD has achieved a stronger presence in the Cologne council. The group now consists of eight members and has thus been able to expand significantly.

The AfD's initiatives focused on topics such as financial policy, administrative reform and citizen participation. The Mirror has reported that the AfD's regional poll numbers in Cologne are currently at 12 percent, which means an increase of 7.62 percentage points since 2020.

A look at the general voter turnout in North Rhine-Westphalia shows that around 13.7 million eligible voters went to the polls here on September 14, 2025, which represents slightly higher activity than five years ago. Compared to the last election, turnout increased to around 32 percent by midday, which provides an indication of the population's interest. This was also done by the Mercury documented.

Political shifts and breakdowns

However, the elections were not without problems. As Merkur reported, there were various breakdowns, including incorrect ballot papers and technical glitches, which impacted the conduct of the election. Despite these difficulties, the mood among voters was overwhelmingly positive, and many are hoping that the AfD's growth in Cologne will give new impetus to local politics.

The results of the election show that political changes are also possible in the future. With regard to the district representations, the AfD was able to achieve 18.62% in Chorweiler, 15.89% in Porz and 14.3% in Kalk, which further underlines its importance in these districts. It remains to be seen how the political landscape in Cologne and North Rhine-Westphalia will develop overall.

Compared to the preliminary results, the CDU came in well ahead with 33.3 percent and the SPD with 22.1 percent, but the AfD now follows with 14.5 percent in a dynamic political environment. It remains exciting to see how the individual players will react to these developments.