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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
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| German opposition wins Lower Saxony election | German opposition wins Lower Saxony election |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Chancellor Angela Merkel's centre-left opponents have won a narrow victory in elections in the German state of Lower Saxony. | Chancellor Angela Merkel's centre-left opponents have won a narrow victory in elections in the German state of Lower Saxony. |
| The Social Democrats and the Greens won a single-seat majority in the state legislature, a region of eight million people in north-western Germany. | The Social Democrats and the Greens won a single-seat majority in the state legislature, a region of eight million people in north-western Germany. |
| The election is seen as a bellwether for national elections in September. | The election is seen as a bellwether for national elections in September. |
| The Lower Saxony defeat has set alarm bells ringing for the chancellor, says the BBC's Steve Evans in Berlin. | The Lower Saxony defeat has set alarm bells ringing for the chancellor, says the BBC's Steve Evans in Berlin. |
| Mrs Merkel's CDU coalition has lost a number of state elections as she seeks a third term as Germany's chancellor. | Mrs Merkel's CDU coalition has lost a number of state elections as she seeks a third term as Germany's chancellor. |
| Scottish roots | Scottish roots |
| Sunday night's knife-edge finish saw the SPD and Greens winning a combined 46.3% of the vote to the centre right's 45.9%. | Sunday night's knife-edge finish saw the SPD and Greens winning a combined 46.3% of the vote to the centre right's 45.9%. |
| The results show a fall in support for the Christian Democrats, despite Chancellor Merkel's prominence as a campaigner for them. There was a rise in support for the two main opposition parties, the Social Democratic Party and even more so for the Greens. | The results show a fall in support for the Christian Democrats, despite Chancellor Merkel's prominence as a campaigner for them. There was a rise in support for the two main opposition parties, the Social Democratic Party and even more so for the Greens. |
| If these results were replicated in the federal elections in September, Chancellor Merkel's government in Berlin would be threatened. | If these results were replicated in the federal elections in September, Chancellor Merkel's government in Berlin would be threatened. |
| Germany is a coalition system so permutations matter. | Germany is a coalition system so permutations matter. |
| In Lower Saxony, the CDU remains the biggest party, but with a cut in support that puts it out of office. If its support were to fall similarly in the national elections, it might still be able to retain power but in a different coalition from the current one, perhaps even with the main opposition party, the SPD. | In Lower Saxony, the CDU remains the biggest party, but with a cut in support that puts it out of office. If its support were to fall similarly in the national elections, it might still be able to retain power but in a different coalition from the current one, perhaps even with the main opposition party, the SPD. |
| Mrs Merkel remains the most likely Chancellor of Germany after the national elections later this year - but she can't count on it. She has a fight on her hands. | Mrs Merkel remains the most likely Chancellor of Germany after the national elections later this year - but she can't count on it. She has a fight on her hands. |
| David McAllister, the incumbent leader of Lower Saxony's government and close ally of Chancellor Merkel, had been hoping for re-election. | David McAllister, the incumbent leader of Lower Saxony's government and close ally of Chancellor Merkel, had been hoping for re-election. |
| He was born in Berlin to a German mother and a Scottish father and is seen as a possible successor to Chancellor Merkel as CDU leader. | He was born in Berlin to a German mother and a Scottish father and is seen as a possible successor to Chancellor Merkel as CDU leader. |
| The Social Democrats (SPD) enjoyed a comfortable lead over the incumbents in the run-up to the poll, but it evaporated as polling day approached. | The Social Democrats (SPD) enjoyed a comfortable lead over the incumbents in the run-up to the poll, but it evaporated as polling day approached. |
| The SPD leader in Lower Saxony, Stephan Weil, said before the result that a victory in the state polls as a sign that his party will be taken seriously in September's national elections. | |
| Since Mrs Merkel's re-election as chancellor in 2009, the CDU has suffered setbacks in recent state elections, and have lost power to the SPD and Greens in four other states. | |
| There was also concern that the CDU's coalition partners, the Free Democrats, would not win enough votes to maintain the coalition. | There was also concern that the CDU's coalition partners, the Free Democrats, would not win enough votes to maintain the coalition. |
| They require 5% of the vote to gain seats in the state legislature - exit polls suggested they had 10%. | They require 5% of the vote to gain seats in the state legislature - exit polls suggested they had 10%. |
| Ms Merkel appeared several times on the campaign trail with Mr McAllister, who has played heavily on his Scottish roots. | Ms Merkel appeared several times on the campaign trail with Mr McAllister, who has played heavily on his Scottish roots. |
| Known as "Mac", he used bagpipes in his election broadcasts. He speaks English with a broad Scottish accent. | Known as "Mac", he used bagpipes in his election broadcasts. He speaks English with a broad Scottish accent. |