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| Merkel suffers another election setback in key German state of Hesse | Merkel suffers another election setback in key German state of Hesse |
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| Germany’s ruling parties are reeling from their second electoral upset in a fortnight, after voters in the key state of Hesse appeared to have abandoned them in droves, plunging Angela Merkel’s coalition government into renewed crisis. | |
| Early results on Sunday from a regional election seen as decisive for the future of Germany’s coalition government showed Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) slumping to 28%, the party’s worst showing in the state since 1966 and a drop of 10% since Hesse last went to the polls in 2013. | Early results on Sunday from a regional election seen as decisive for the future of Germany’s coalition government showed Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) slumping to 28%, the party’s worst showing in the state since 1966 and a drop of 10% since Hesse last went to the polls in 2013. |
| Exit polls showed Merkel’s coalition partner in Berlin, the Social Democrats (SPD), tanking to 20% of the vote, coming in just half a percentage point ahead of a resurgent Green party. The result, the SPD’s worst ever in the state, will pile pressure on its party leader, Andrea Nahles. | Exit polls showed Merkel’s coalition partner in Berlin, the Social Democrats (SPD), tanking to 20% of the vote, coming in just half a percentage point ahead of a resurgent Green party. The result, the SPD’s worst ever in the state, will pile pressure on its party leader, Andrea Nahles. |
| The most extreme reaction would be a shock SPD withdrawal from Merkel’s coalition in Berlin, a move that would almost certainly trigger fresh elections. | The most extreme reaction would be a shock SPD withdrawal from Merkel’s coalition in Berlin, a move that would almost certainly trigger fresh elections. |
| The trouncing for the coalition parties follows a disastrous result in Bavaria widely seen as a protest against the failings of the Berlin government. As in Bavaria, the big winner appeared to be the environmental, pro-immigration Green party, which doubled its voter share in the state to 19.5% at the expense of both coalition parties. The far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) also made gains, comfortably entering Hesse’s parliament for the first time on 12%. | The trouncing for the coalition parties follows a disastrous result in Bavaria widely seen as a protest against the failings of the Berlin government. As in Bavaria, the big winner appeared to be the environmental, pro-immigration Green party, which doubled its voter share in the state to 19.5% at the expense of both coalition parties. The far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) also made gains, comfortably entering Hesse’s parliament for the first time on 12%. |
| If it stands, the result would see the state’s CDU-Green coalition scrape a majority, putting an end to speculation over the future of the CDU state premier and close Merkel ally, Volker Bouffier. With tensions running high in the CDU, some members had implied that if Bouffier falls, Merkel may struggle when she stands for re-election as party leader at its conference in December. | If it stands, the result would see the state’s CDU-Green coalition scrape a majority, putting an end to speculation over the future of the CDU state premier and close Merkel ally, Volker Bouffier. With tensions running high in the CDU, some members had implied that if Bouffier falls, Merkel may struggle when she stands for re-election as party leader at its conference in December. |
| The seat of Germany’s financial centre, Frankfurt, Hesse is a swing state traditionally seen as a bellwether for national politics. For the past 20 years it has been ruled by CDU-led coalitions. At Hesse’s previous regional election in 2013, the CDU secured 38.3% of the vote and the SPD 30.7%. | The seat of Germany’s financial centre, Frankfurt, Hesse is a swing state traditionally seen as a bellwether for national politics. For the past 20 years it has been ruled by CDU-led coalitions. At Hesse’s previous regional election in 2013, the CDU secured 38.3% of the vote and the SPD 30.7%. |
| On the campaign trail this week Merkel was at pains to play down the significance of the regional vote for her party, government and chancellorship, protesting that “not every regional election can be stylised into a little national election”. | On the campaign trail this week Merkel was at pains to play down the significance of the regional vote for her party, government and chancellorship, protesting that “not every regional election can be stylised into a little national election”. |
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