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| Merkel's Bavaria ally CSU suffer 'massive losses' | Merkel's Bavaria ally CSU suffer 'massive losses' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Angela Merkel's sister party has suffered massive losses in Bavaria's state elections, exit polls suggest, in a blow to the German chancellor. | Angela Merkel's sister party has 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 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 37% of the vote, down 10 points on four years ago, with the left-leaning pro-immigration Greens on 18%. | |
| The Alternative for Germany (AfD) came fourth with 11%, behind a collective of independent candidates known as the Free Voters. | 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 less than 10%, their vote halved. | |
| There is speculation that it could pull out of the government in an attempt to survive as a party. | There is speculation that it could pull out of the government in an attempt to survive as a party. |
| Its leader Andrea Nahles, blamed the poor performance in Bavaria on squabbling within the coalition. | Its leader Andrea Nahles, blamed the poor performance in Bavaria on squabbling within the coalition. |
| Rightward shift backfires | Rightward shift backfires |
| By Jenny Hill, BBC News, Bavaria | By Jenny Hill, BBC News, Bavaria |
| It was a terrible night for Angela Merkel's Bavarian sister party. | It was a terrible night for Angela Merkel's Bavarian sister party. |
| The CSU has reigned supreme for decades in what is conservative country. But recent attempts to harden its tone and policies on migration, which included picking high-profile fights with Mrs Merkel, appear to have backfired. | The CSU has reigned supreme for decades in what is conservative country. But recent attempts to harden its tone and policies on migration, which included picking high-profile fights with Mrs Merkel, appear to have backfired. |
| It's bad news for Mrs Merkel too. Bavaria reflects what's happening at national level, the dwindling popularity of the traditional centre-right and centre-left parties. | It's bad news for Mrs Merkel too. Bavaria reflects what's happening at national level, the dwindling popularity of the traditional centre-right and centre-left parties. |
| Much may now depend on the results of state elections in Hesse in a fortnight. Mrs Merkel's CDU party is also losing support. Its general secretary Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said that what had happened in Bavaria was a warning. | Much may now depend on the results of state elections in Hesse in a fortnight. Mrs Merkel's CDU party is also losing support. Its general secretary Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said that what had happened in Bavaria was a warning. |
| What happened to the CSU? | What happened to the CSU? |
| 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. | 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. | 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. |
| The CSU's Markus Söder, current Bavarian prime minister, said the projected result was painful but the party should learn from it. | The CSU's Markus Söder, current Bavarian prime minister, 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. | "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 this state is stable, governable, and remains as strong as it is now." | "One of the most important jobs we now have is to ensure that this state is stable, governable, and remains as strong as it is now." |
| Bavaria key facts | Bavaria key facts |
| What is the bigger picture? | What is the bigger picture? |
| 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 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. | 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. | It's not simply the rise of the far right, she says, but that voters are walking away in favour of smaller, newer movements. |