05/09/2011 11:07
Merkel’s party suffers losses in regional poll
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's party has suffered an electoral setback in her home state.
According to exit polls released by TV channel ARD, the Social Democratic Party (SPD) was the strongest party, with 37 per cent of the vote, a significant gain on their 2006 performance of 30.2 per cent.
The third-strongest party was the far-left Linke, with 17 per cent.
The far-right National Democratic Party, which has historically done well in the state that has an unemployment rate nearly twice as high as the national average, also lost support.
The CDU has slumped in national polls and already been punished in five regional elections this year, losing control of two states to the SPD.
The poor poll showing was a personal setback for Merkel, two years before federal elections.