This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39914333

The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Merkel 'seizes key state from rivals' Angela Merkel's CDU 'seizes key state from rivals'
(35 minutes later)
Chancellor Merkel's CDU party unseats SPD rivals in key state elections in North Rhine-Westphalia, exit polls say Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats party (CDU) has unseated rivals Social Democrats (SPD) in a key election, exit polls say.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. The CDU is projected to win 34.5% of votes in North Rhine-Westphalia, the country's most populous state, compared with 30.5% for the SPD.
If you want to receive Breaking News alerts via email, or on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App then details on how to do so are available on this help page. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on Twitter to get the latest alerts. The SPD has run the state for most of the post-war period.
The vote was seen as a test for Mrs Merkel, who faces a general election in September.
Voters were choosing candidates for the state legislature, which may now change from its current SPD-Greens coalition.
The SPD's vote is down by 8.6 percentage points on the last election there in 2012, while Mrs Merkel's vote is up by almost the same amount.
SPD leader Martin Schulz had predicted a victory there would make him the next German chancellor - but the victory for Mrs Merkel's party will now give her a boost as she seeks a fourth term.
The first exit polls also predict 12% for the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP); 6% for the Greens; 7.5% for the far right Alternative for Germany (AFD); and 5% for The Left.
German newspaper Die Welt said the red-green coalition currently in power "has clearly lost their majority".
The result could also mean the worst election result for the SPD since 1947, the newspaper said.
Polls before the vote had suggested the CDU and SDP were neck-and-neck.
But the CDU's campaign - which targeted voters' frustration on issues such as traffic congestion, rising crime and education - appears to have swayed voters.
Mrs Merkel's party also promised to beef up security, with longer prison terms for offenders and more funds for the police.