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| Merkel's Bavaria ally CSU suffer 'massive losses' | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Angela Merkel's sister party suffered massive losses in Bavaria's state elections, exit polls suggest, in a blow to the German chancellor. | Angela Merkel's sister party suffered massive losses in Bavaria's state elections, exit polls suggest, in a blow to the German chancellor. |
| The CSU is set to lose its absolute majority in the state parliament. | The CSU is set to lose its absolute majority in the state parliament. |
| The Greens surged into second place and the anti-immigration AfD entered the state parliament for the first time. | |
| The CSU has ruled Bavaria almost single-handedly since 1957, but has lost support as opinion becomes polarised over issues like migration. | The CSU has ruled Bavaria almost single-handedly since 1957, but has lost support as opinion becomes polarised over issues like migration. |
| Exit polls for major broadcasters said the CSU (Christian Social Union) won about 35.5%, down 12 points on four years ago, with the left-leaning pro-immigration Greens on 19%. | |
| The Alternative for Germany (AfD) came fourth with 11%, behind a collective of independent candidates known as the Free Voters. | |
| Mrs Merkel's national coalition partners the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) trailed in fifth with 10%, their vote halved. | |
| The AfD's success in Bavaria has not been as great as in eastern Germany, but it appears to have taken large numbers of votes from the CSU. | |
| But by echoing some of the AfD's hardline policies such as on migration, the CSU also seems to have lost the support of more moderate voters. | |
| CSU leader Markus Söder said the projected result was painful but the party should learn from it. | |
| "We have to analyse the changes taking place both in Bavaria and in society," he said. | |
| "One of the most important jobs we now have is to ensure that is this state is stable, governable, and remains as strong as it is now." | |
| Bavaria key facts | |
| The poll is a serious setback for Mrs Merkel, just months after she formed a fragile coalition with the CSU and SPD - both of whom suffered huge losses in Bavaria. | |
| The BBC's Jenny Hill in Bavaria says the election illustrates the complexity of the challenge faced by so many of Europe's large established parties. | |
| It's not simply the rise of the far right, she says, but that voters are walking away in favour of smaller, newer movements. |