Hessen sees significant political shifts, with the CDU’s popularity declining, no nuclear waste site planned in the region, and plans for a larger deportation center at Frankfurt Airport.

The latest hr-Hessentrend survey reveals a sharp decline in support for the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Hessen, with the party dropping to 25%, its lowest score in this poll. Meanwhile, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) has risen to 23%, coming close to the CDU’s numbers. The Greens have improved to 16%, while the Social Democratic Party (SPD) has slightly decreased to 15%. These figures indicate that the current CDU-SPD coalition would not have enough support to continue governing. Additionally, public satisfaction with the state government has dropped, with 54% of respondents expressing dissatisfaction.

In other developments, Hessen has been excluded from consideration as a site for Germany’s nuclear waste repository. The Federal Company for Radioactive Waste Disposal (BGE) had previously identified areas in the Vorderer Odenwald and Bad Hersfeld as potential locations. However, recent evaluations have deemed these sites either ‘good’ but not ‘very good’ or ‘low suitability to unsuitable.’ As a result, the search for a national nuclear waste repository continues, with the timeline potentially extending until the middle of the century. Meanwhile, 108 Castor containers of radioactive waste remain stored at the former Biblis nuclear power plant in Hessen.

Plans are underway to expand the deportation center at Frankfurt Airport significantly. By May 2027, the Federal Police’s deportation service will relocate to a new facility in the western part of the airport, which will be more than twice the size of the current location in Terminal 2. The expanded center will have the capacity to process approximately 100 deportations daily, doubling the current rate. This move comes as Terminal 2 undergoes renovations and is closed for regular passenger operations.