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5/13/12

Germany: Opposition wins election in most populous German state, another setback for Merkel - by Geir Moulson

Voters in Germany's most populous state on Sunday strengthened a regional government that Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives had portrayed as irresponsibly spendthrift, inflicting an embarrassingly heavy defeat on the German leader's party, projections showed.

The center-left Social Democrats and Greens — Germany's main opposition parties — won combined support of up to 51 percent in the election in North Rhine-Westphalia state, according to ARD television projections based on exit polls and partial counting.

That would give them a majority in the state legislature, which they narrowly missed in the last regional election two years ago. Meanwhile, support for Merkel's Christian Democrats plunged to some 26 percent from above 34 percent, their worst showing in the state since World War II.

Opposition wins election in most populous German state, another setback for Merkel - OrlandoSentinel.com

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