Merkel Coalition Battered as Germans Turn on Mainstream Parties
- Christian Democrats suffer biggest defeat in Thuringia
- No governing majority in sight for incumbent Left party
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Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition faced a renewed setback with a resounding defeat in a state election and its main ally wavering over support for the government.
Merkel’s Christian Democrats plummeted nearly 12 percentage points from 2014 to 21.8% in an election for state assembly in the eastern state of Thuringia, according to preliminary results published early on Monday. At the same time, the populist right-wing AfD more than doubled its standing and marginally beat the CDU at 23.4%.