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| 'Poll boost' for German far-right | |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Initial returns in German state elections show gains for the far right in one eastern state and a poor showing for Chancellor Angela Merkel's party. | |
| The far-right National Democratic Party (NDP) is projected to have won 7% in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania - with 5% needed for a state parliament seat. | |
| The previous government compared the NDP to the early Nazi party. | The previous government compared the NDP to the early Nazi party. |
| The polls also showed Mrs Merkel's Christian Democrat (CDU) party trailing rival parties in Berlin. | |
| Projections based on initial returns and exit polls by ZDF television gave the NDP 7.1% of the vote in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. | |
| Erwin Sellering, deputy leader of the Social Democrat Party (SPD) in Mecklenburg, said that if confirmed the result would be "depressing for us all because it was our common goal to prevent it". | |
| Projections also show Berlin's popular Mayor Klaus Wowereit of the SPD heading for re-election, as had been thought likely. | |
| In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania the Social Democrats showed a narrow lead. | In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania the Social Democrats showed a narrow lead. |
| Soaring unemployment | Soaring unemployment |
| The BBC's Tristana Moore in Berlin says the results suggest another setback for the CDU, which has been haemorrhaging support at the national lead because of infighting. | |
| Two states in former communist eastern Germany already have far-right MPs. | Two states in former communist eastern Germany already have far-right MPs. |
| The NPD's support is partly explained by its hard anti-immigrant stance in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, which has soaring unemployment. | The NPD's support is partly explained by its hard anti-immigrant stance in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, which has soaring unemployment. |
| Mrs Merkel, who became the country's first woman chancellor less than a year ago, would have wanted to do well in the state, which includes her home constituency. | Mrs Merkel, who became the country's first woman chancellor less than a year ago, would have wanted to do well in the state, which includes her home constituency. |
| The state is currently governed by a so-called "red-red" coalition of Social Democrats and the Left Party. | |
| Manufacturing has collapsed across the former East German state following reunification in 1990, forcing many of its residents to go west in search of work. | Manufacturing has collapsed across the former East German state following reunification in 1990, forcing many of its residents to go west in search of work. |
| The government of former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder had tried to ban the NPD, describing it as a latter-day version of Hitler's Nazi party. But Germany's Supreme Court rejected Mr Schroeder's attempt in 2003. The NPD has its lawmakers in the state of Saxony, following regional elections in 2004. | The government of former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder had tried to ban the NPD, describing it as a latter-day version of Hitler's Nazi party. But Germany's Supreme Court rejected Mr Schroeder's attempt in 2003. The NPD has its lawmakers in the state of Saxony, following regional elections in 2004. |
| Another far-right party - the German People's Union (DVU) - entered the parliament in the state of Brandenburg. | Another far-right party - the German People's Union (DVU) - entered the parliament in the state of Brandenburg. |