According to the first projections by infratest dimap, the SPD came to 43.1 percent, its best election result since the late 1990s.

The previous Deputy Prime Minister, Economics Minister Anke Rehlinger, will probably be the first Social Democratic Prime Minister in the Saar.

"The Saarland voted red, the Saar SPD won the election," said Rehlinger.

"After 23 years we are again the strongest force as a social democracy in the Saar." That was the result of hard work, the SPD had won back the trust of the citizens and gained credibility.

"That was also rewarded today," said Rehlinger.

According to this status, the SPD has won the absolute majority and has 26 seats in the state parliament.

The incumbent prime minister, Tobias Hans, was unable to use his official bonus.

For the Saar-CDU it is the second worst result in its history, it only comes to 27.6 percent – ​​more than 13 percentage points less than in 2017. Andreas Jung, deputy party leader of the CDU, said on ZDF: “It is Anke’s success Rehlinger.

We congratulate her on that.” In this election, state political issues were decisive.

"It's not an omen, it was a state election.

The values ​​in the other federal states look very different," said Jung.

"We are optimistic, but of course with the necessary humility for the other election dates."

After three legislative periods, the left is no longer represented in the Saarland state parliament, it fell by 10.1 percentage points to 2.7 percent.

According to infratest dimap, the AfD has 5.5 percent, the Greens 5.6.

"This is a very clear success for us," said Green Party chairwoman Ricarda Lang.

It is a voice for climate protection in Saarland.

"The fact that we as the Greens are represented in all 16 federal states is a clear boost." The FDP is 5 percent.

On Sunday, more than 750,000 eligible voters were asked to cast their votes.

The provisional official final result should be known in the evening.

With almost one million inhabitants, Saarland is the smallest of the federal states, and the state parliament is also the smallest in Germany with 51 members.

Nevertheless, the election is also considered a mood test for federal politics.

This year, state elections will be held in Schleswig-Holstein and North Rhine-Westphalia in May and in Lower Saxony in October.

The CDU has been the head of government in Saarbrücken for almost 23 years.

However, Hans was the top candidate for the first time.

He took over the post in 2018.

CDU predecessor Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer then switched to federal politics.

For Rehlinger it was the second attempt to become head of government.

The SPD last provided the prime minister in the Saar until 1999.

Hans has left it open whether, in the event of another grand coalition led by the SPD, he would go into the cabinet as a deputy under Rehlinger.