the north rhine-westphalia state election, 2005, was conducted on 22 may 2005, to elect members to the landtag (state legislature) of north rhine-westphalia in germany. it was a victory for the christian democratic union, who received enough seats to form a coalition with their preferred partner, the fdp, and end the previous government formed by the social democratic party and the greens, who also ruled at the federal level.