German voters face Angela Merkel's coalition, another setback

Merkel's Conservatives fell to 27 percent in Hesse, while Social Democrats, the Chancellor's coalition partners in the federal government, dropped to 19.8 percent, according to exit polls by the ZDF broadcaster. In the last elections in 2013, the parties won 38.3% and 30.7% respectively.

The Hessian vote marks the second major setback of the past two weeks for both parties, who suffered similar losses in Bavaria earlier this month.

The results should support rival Merkel within her party and increase pressure to replace her as the party presidency at a party meeting in December, according to Robin Alexander, a political journalist who wrote a bestseller on Ms. Merkel. decision to open the country's borders to a large influx of asylum seekers in 2015.

They could also strengthen the grbadroots efforts of the Social Democrats to quit the coalition in order to stop the loss of votes. After the exit polls, Andrea Nahles, leader of the Social Democracy, said she would make a series of proposals to improve the work of the government and that the success of these efforts would determine the continuation of the party in the elections. Coalition.

"Federal policy has contributed to these losses. The state of the coalition is not acceptable, "Ms. Nahles said at a press conference. She said that her party's continued involvement in the government would depend on the implementation of a new "binding road map" for the coalition it would present in the coming days.

Both parties have seen their ratings drop since the federal election in September 2017. Last week, a national Emnid poll revealed that Merkel's Conservative bloc fell to a record low of 24%, up from 32.9 %, while the Social Democrats have fallen. from 20.5% to 15%.

Hesse, home to around six million people, is currently led by a coalition of conservatives and Greens, which nearly doubled their 2013 results and are expected to win 19.8 percent of the vote. The Social Democrats are not part of the ruling coalition in Hesse.

The coalition in Hesse could continue with a majority of only one seat in parliament.

The anti-immigration alternative party for Germany, known as the AfD, is expected to almost triple its 2013 result to 13% in Hesse, according to exit polls, and would then be represented in the 16 parliaments German regional authorities, as well as in Parliament. federal badembly.

Hesse, a wealthy region with one of Europe's largest financial centers, Frankfurt, has a near-full employment rate, with only 4.4% unemployment, a level below the national average.

Despite its success, Hesse has become the last state to be engulfed by the polarization of German politics that has upset the political party system since the migration crisis of 2015.

"Voters here were very satisfied but we had no chance against this hurricane coming from Berlin," said Volker Bouffier, acting prime minister of Hessen and local leader of the CDU. "We need fewer quarrels in Berlin, or better yet, not at all."

The political turmoil has severely undermined Merkel's conservatives and the Social Democrats, who have led a so-called grand coalition since 2013, while right and left parties such as the AfD and the Greens continue to form .

The political turmoil has severely undermined Merkel's conservatives and the Social Democrats, who have led a so-called grand coalition since 2013, while right and left parties such as the AfD and the Greens continue to form .

Merkel said last week that it was no longer necessary to "waste time" to debate the events of 2015.

Health Minister Jens Spahn, one of his main rivals in power, appeared Sunday night on television after the polls closed in Hesse to announce that the party had to find new ways to regain strength before rebellion. December leadership election.

"We must strive to have debates and not try to silence them," Spahn said.

Write to Bojan Pancevski to [email protected]