Merkel’s CDU Party Leading in Local Elections in Schleswig-Holstein

Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), led by current Chancellor Angela Merkel, is leading in the local elections in the northernmost state of Schleswig-Holstein, local media reported Sunday, citing exit polls.

BERLIN (Sputnik) — According to the Spiegel newspaper, citing the ARD and ZDF pollsters, the CDU received some 33.3 percent of the votes, with the Social Democratic Party (SPD) coming second with 26.5 percent. The Green Party received some 13 percent of the votes, and then come the Free Democrats (FDP) with 10.8 percent and the Eurosceptics of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) with 5.5 percent.

The Left and the South Schleswig Voters' Association (SSW) representing the Danish minority of the state failed to pass the 5-percent margin needed to enter the parliament, with 3.3 and 3.5 percent, respectively.

In the previous election in Schleswig-Holstein in 2012, the CDU got 30.8 percent of votes, with the SPD securing support of 30.4 percent of voters, which led to a creation of a coalition government of the SPD, the Green Party and the SSW.

The parliamentary election in Schleswig-Holstein, which is scheduled for Sunday, as well as the election in North Rhine-Westphalia on May 14 and the March election in Saarland are considered the first test for Martin Schulz in his ability as the new leader of the SPD. In Saarland, the SPD came in second 29.6 percent of the vote, compared to the 40.7 percent won by the CDU.