Germans on Sunday voted in a closely-contested parliamentary election, amid strong indications that Chancellor Angela Merkel will clinch a third four-year term.
Around 62 million voters have been called upon to elect Germany’s 18th Bundestag, lower house of parliament and early computer projections are expected shortly after the polling stations close at 6 pm local time. Opinion polls in the run up to the election have been predicting a neck-and-neck race between the ruling conservative-liberal coalition and the opposition parties. Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), its Bavarian ally Christian Social Union (CSU) and the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) are expected to win around 45 per cent of the votes, according to the last opinion polls ahead of Sunday’s vote.
The Opposition Social Democratic Party (SDP), the Green party and the left party are estimated to poll around 44 per cent. If the free democrats fail to cross the five per cent threshold and thereby deprive the Government of a victory in election, Merkel has the option to form a new a “grand coalition” with the Opposition SPD.