Merkel romps to victory in German election

Angela Merkel was on track to win a third term as chancellor in a German election on Sunday after her conservatives scored their best result in decades, but it was unclear whether she could avoid being forced into a coalition with her Leftist rivals.

Television exit polls showed Merkel's conservative bloc - the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) - on 42 to 42.5 per cent, which if confirmed would be their strongest score since 1990.

That gives the conservatives an outside chance of securing an absolute majority on their own, which would be a historic success for the 59-year-old Merkel, whose steady leadership during the Euro zone crisis has made her hugely popular at home.
 

"It's a super result," said Merkel, flashing a broad smile.

But the survival of her centre-right coalition with the Free Democrats (FDP) was in question, with the business-friendly party on 4.7 per cent, shy of five per cent mark needed to remain in parliament.

Adding to the uncertainty was a new eurosceptic party, the Alternative for Germany (AfD), which stood at 4.9 per cent, just a whisper below the threshold needed to enter the Bundestag.