the social democratic candidate has a slight advantage to succeed Angela Merkel

Angela Merkel’s Social Democrats and Conservatives they would be very equal in the elections this Sunday in Germany, according to the results of exit polls broadcast by public television channels.

But according to the election ballot – which began after the polling stations closed at 6:00 p.m. local time (4:00 p.m. GMT) – the SPD reached three hours later. 25.7% of the vote, followed by 24.5% of the CDU / CSU, 14.3% of Los Verdes, 11.5% of the liberals of the FDP and 10.5% of the extremists of Alternative for Germany (AfD).

The left reached 5% of the vote, a limit which allows them to enter the Bundestag, but dangerously on the margins and therefore without clear influence on the composition of the new government.

The Social Democratic Party SPD of Olaf Scholz the triumph was on its way Armin Laschet,

The SPD has a clear “mandate to govern”, said its secretary general, Lars Klingbeil, this Sunday after the results of the exit polls, which credited them between 25% and 26% of the vote, ahead of the conservatives (24-25%).

“We fought our return as the SPD, the SPD is back, the SPD clearly has a mandate to govern,” the social democratic official told public broadcaster ZDF in the context of the parliamentary elections in Germany. .

The secretary general of the CDU, Merkel’s party, expressed his disappointment, because the exit polls give the Conservatives a second place, behind the Social Democrats.

“The losses are bitter compared to the last elections”In 2017, when the CDU-CSU alliance won more than 30% of the vote, Paul Ziemiak told reporters.

Germans vote this Sunday in an election with an uncertain outcome in which social democrats and conservatives are fighting over the succession of Angela Merkel, who will leave the Chancellery after 16 years in power.

“I will always vote, but this year it’s exciting to know who’s gonna be“The next chancellor,” said Ursula Becker, a 62-year-old voter from Aachen in western Germany.

It is precisely in this city that the candidate of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) voted, Armin Laschet, who erred in not hiding his ticket from the cameras as required by the electoral code, so that his ballot could be invalidated.

“Every vote counts” because “Germany’s direction for the next few years is at stake,” Laschet said.

His main opponent, the Social Democrat Olaf Scholz, who voted in Potsdam, a city near Berlin, called the scorching weather a “good sign” for the center-left, a party that has climbed in the polls unexpectedly since the northern summer.

In this same constituency, the aspirant of the Greens, Annalena baerbock, 40, dropped off his ticket at noon.

“Today is a party for democracy. All of Europe is watching us,” Baerbock said.

Undecided

About 60.4 million voters They are called upon to elect their deputies, and they will be able to do so until 6:00 p.m., 1:00 p.m. in Argentina.

Until a few days ago, still close to 40% of voters they remained undecided in these crucial elections, which mark the end of Angela Merkel’s 16 years at the head of Europe’s largest economy.

The name of the future chancellor and the composition of his probable majority he runs the risk of not crossing paths on Sunday evening.

Everything indicates that they will be necessary long and intense negotiations form a coalition, which could lead to European paralysis until the first quarter of 2022.

After keeping away from the electoral race, the chancellor increased her participation during rallies in recent days to support Laschet.

Long at the head of voting intentions, the Christian Democrats could fall the symbolic threshold of 30%, for the first time since 1949.

Errors

In addition to the erosion of power, the conservative union has been affected by the bad campaign of its clumsy and unpopular candidate.

The errors of his opponents, combined with the near imperfection of Olaf Scholz, 63 years vice-chancellor and Minister of Finance, they resurrected a dying SPD.

The former mayor of Hamburg he does not hesitate to show himself to be Merkel’s true heir.

Laschet, an affable centrist prone to blunders, was the big favorite to succeed his ally Merkel, but its popularity began to wane after a series of incidents.

The fear of a left coalition, agitated by the conservatives, it could also mobilize the undecided electorate.

For their part, the Greens will focus on securing third place, with about 17% of the vote.

This result would be historic for this environmental faction, which has so far crossed the 10% mark only in 2009.

But that would be a bittersweet result, after conducting the polls in April, in a country concerned about climate change, a sensitive subject especially among young people.

“This is really a very important question for me, because I think it will influence my life a lot in the future,” Maite Hoppenz, 18, said on Sunday during the vote for the first time.

Everything indicates that, since the 1950s, this would be the first time that the support of a third faction we have to form a coalition.

The liberals of the FDP are already emerging as a potential candidate, while the radical left Die Linke seems to want to join this possible coalition, even if he will first have to give up his criticism of NATO.

For its part, the far-right AfD, which entered the Bundestag for the first time four years ago, is expected to consolidate as a party with around 10%, although it remains excluded from any possible coalition.

AFP Agency

PB