align=right| 15.9 | align=right| 25 | align=right| 22 | align=right| 21.7 |- | bgcolor=| | align=left | Free Democratic Party (FDP) | align=right| 154,145 | align=right| 13.3 | align=right| 9.1 | align=right| 17 | align=right| 17 | align=right| 14.8 |- ! colspan=8| |- | bgcolor=#63B8FF| | align=left | Party for a Rule of Law Offensive (Schill party) | align=right| 52,589 | align=right| 4.5 | align=right| New | align=right| 0 | align=right| New | align=right| 0 |- | bgcolor=| | align=left | Alliance 90/The Greens (Grüne) | align=right| 22,696 | align=right| 2.0 | align=right| 1.2 | align=right| 0 | align=right| ±0 | align=right| 0 |- | bgcolor=| | align=left | Others | align=right| 29,818 | align=right| 2.6 | align=right| | align=right| 0 | align=right| ±0 | align=right| 0 |- ! align=right colspan=2| Total ! align=right| 1,160,985 ! align=right| 100.0 ! align=right| ! align=right| 115 ! align=right| 1 ! align=right| |- ! align=right colspan=2| Voter turnout ! align=right| ! align=right| 56.5 ! align=right| 15.0 ! align=right| ! align=right| ! align=right| |} Outcome The SPD suffered a major defeat, falling to third place behind both the CDU and PDS. The CDU became the largest party with 37% of the vote. The FDP achieved an unexpected victory with 13% of the vote. The Party for a Rule of Law Offensive (Schill party) failed to win seats, despite polling suggesting they would narrowly enter the Landtag. While polls before the election indicated the SPD and PDS would likely retain a slim majority, the success of the FDP at the SPD's expense meant that the CDU and FDP held a comfortable majority between them. Thus, the PDS-backed SPD government no longer had the numbers to retain power. The CDU and FDP negotiated a coalition, with CDU leader Wolfgang Böhmer heading the new government. The election, which took place five months before the 2002 federal election, was a major defeat for the federal SPD–Green government, and weakened its standing in the Bundesrat. Sources The Federal Returning Officer 2002 2002 elections in Germany