Merkel’s hand is weakened as her CSU ally loses power in its Catholic heartland
Angela Merkel’s faltering government has been dealt another blow by the defeat of her Bavarian ally, the Christian Social Union (CSU), in state elections. With its vote dropping from 48 per cent to 37 per cent, the CSU scored its worst result since 1950 and will now have to form a coalition government. Merkel’s other coalition partners, the Social Democrats (SPD), slumped from second place to fifth with under 10 per cent support.
