Merkel's party hammered in state elections
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) suffered a heavy blow in state elections in the northern city of Hamburg on Sunday. The results could have wider implications for national politics.
Early results indicated that the Christian Democrats (CDU) had obtained just 20 percent of Sunday's vote according to German public television, a disappointing result for Merkel as her party contests the first of seven crucial state elections this year.
The opposition Social Democrats (SPD) won 49.5 percent of the vote, in increase from 34.1 percent in 2008, public broadcaster ARD said. The SPD was projected to win 65 seats in the Hamburg state assembly, four more than needed for an absolute majority.
This result will enable the SPD's Olaf Scholz to take over as city mayor from CDU incumbent Christoph Ahlhaus. Scholz, 52, is a former German labor minister. [...]
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) suffered a heavy blow in state elections in the northern city of Hamburg on Sunday. The results could have wider implications for national politics.
Early results indicated that the Christian Democrats (CDU) had obtained just 20 percent of Sunday's vote according to German public television, a disappointing result for Merkel as her party contests the first of seven crucial state elections this year.
The opposition Social Democrats (SPD) won 49.5 percent of the vote, in increase from 34.1 percent in 2008, public broadcaster ARD said. The SPD was projected to win 65 seats in the Hamburg state assembly, four more than needed for an absolute majority.
This result will enable the SPD's Olaf Scholz to take over as city mayor from CDU incumbent Christoph Ahlhaus. Scholz, 52, is a former German labor minister. [...]
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