Sat, Feb 11 2012

German exit poll: Angela Merkel down but not out

Sun, Jun 07 2009 20:58 CET

byGabriel Hershman

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German exit poll: Angela Merkel down but not out

Angela Merkel
Photo: Wikipedia

The centre-right alliance of German chancellor Angela Merkel was set to win 38 per cent of the vote, down from 44 per cent in 2004, according to exit polls in Germany.

Merkel leads a grand coalition with the Christian Social Union (CSU), its Bavarian sister party, and the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), formed after the 2005 federal election on 22 November 2005.

The Social Democrats were expected to achieve roughly the same result as in 2004 - 21 per cent.

Germany will elect 99 MEPs - more than any other country in this election. It has long had a political consensus in favour of deeper EU integration.

The European elections anticipate the September general elections, in which the SPD's vice-chancellor Frank-Walter Steinmeier will challenge Merkel.

Commentators says that longstanding supporters have become disillusioned with Merkel's handling of the financial crisis and the compromises she has made with the SPD to stay in power. Nevertheless, compared to the battering expected to be taken by other incumbent governments, notably Gordon Brown's Labour Party in the UK, the result could be seen as an acceptable loss.

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