German state elections 2027: parties name candidates and report membership shifts

The FDP Rhein‑Sieg district association in North Rhine‑Westphalia selected its slate of candidates for the 2027 state election, naming Uwe Steininger, Mirko Christian‑Gbalou, Sascha Klein, David Launus and Stephan Poser for the five constituencies of the Rhein‑Sieg district.

In the neighboring state of Saarland, the AfD and The Left reported sizeable rises in party membership ahead of the 18 April 2027 Landtag vote, with the AfD reaching 1,635 members (up 25 %) and The Left 1,796 members (up 14 %). Other parties showed declines: the SPD fell to 12,883 members, the CDU held around 13,000, the Greens slipped to 1,569 and the FDP to 851.

Both developments illustrate growing mobilisation among smaller parties and a shifting party landscape as German states prepare for the 2027 regional elections.