• Polls had said the Christian Social Union (CSU), ally of Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) would win a majority in the weekend’s election in the southern German state of Bavaria.
  • CSU appears to have gained 49% of the vote.
  • It not all good news for Merkel, the Free Democrats (FDP), with whom she governs in coalition, polled just 3%
  • Overall the results auger well for Merkel, who faces a federal election on September 22

More details