Merkel bids for second term as Germany votes

Germans vote today on whether to return the nation’s first woman chancellor to a second term in office following a lacklustre campaign centred largely on economic issues.

Chancellor Angela Merkel is hoping enough of the nation’s 62.2 million eligible voters will support her conservative Christian Democratic Party to give them a solid enough standing to form a centre-right coalition with their top partners, the Free Democrats.

One of the final surveys before the polls were to open at 8.00am today indicated the conservatives could capture 33% of the vote, while the Free Democrats were supported by 14% in the poll by the Forsa institute.

That might allow Ms Merkel to break with her partners of the past four years, Germany’s other traditional main party, the left-centre Social Democrats.