Merkel could face coalition with leftist rivals

Angela Merkel was on track to win a third term as chancellor in a German election 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%-42.5%, 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 eurozone crisis has made her hugely popular at home.