Merkel on track in German election

An exit poll tonight showed Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives have emerged from Germany’s election as the strongest party and are on track to form a new centre-right government.

Ms Merkel, a conservative, was seeking a second four-year term in today’s parliamentary election.

She also wanted to end her “grand coalition” with the centre-left Social Democrats of challenger Frank-Walter Steinmeier and form a new government with the centre-right Free Democrats.

An ARD television exit poll puts support for Ms Merkel’s Christian Democrats at 33.5% and 22.5 for the Social Democrats. It has the Free Democrats at 15%, the Left Party at 12.5% and the Greens at 10.5%.

ARD says the conservatives and Free Democrats should have a majority in parliament