Merkel’s Party Shows It Won’t Be Beaten Easily
- CDU gains in German state vote, damping SPD’s Schulz euphoria
- Long way to denying Merkel fourth term, Teneo’s Nickel says
Merkel Wins Bellwether Vote
This article is for subscribers only.
Angela Merkel’s election victory in Saarland state delivered a reality check in this year’s contest for the chancellery, underscoring the challenge facing the Social Democratic Party trying to deny her a fourth term.
Energized by the candidacy of former European Parliament president Martin Schulz, the SPD headed into the ballot with a poll bounce. Instead, Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union posted its biggest win in the state in 13 years, after a campaign that included raising the specter of the anti-capitalist Left party entering the state government.