Gordon Schnieder elected Minister President of Rhineland‑Palatinate, ending 35‑year SPD rule

The Landtag of Rhineland‑Palatinate elected CDU politician Gordon Schnieder as the state’s new Minister President on 18 May 2026. He received 63 yes‑votes, 38 no‑votes, two abstentions and two invalid ballots out of 105 members.

Schnieder’s victory ends a 35‑year period during which the Social Democratic Party led the state government. He will head a "schwarz‑rot" (CDU‑SPD) coalition – the first grand coalition in the state’s history. The CDU secured the education ministry, while the SPD retained the finance portfolio.

The 50‑year‑old, who hails from the Eifel and is the younger brother of federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder, faces a challenging economic situation, a strong opposition from the AfD and a need to deliver on the coalition’s agenda: municipal‑finances reform, early‑childhood education, state modernization, infrastructure renewal and a target of adding 1 500 MW of renewable energy capacity each year.