Cologne University: State and Merkel

cologne university: Merkel Christian Democrats polled 19 per cent, their worst result yet in the state, according to CBC. The centre-left Social Democrats, who led the outgoing state government, were the strongest party with about 30-per-cent support. The three-year-old Alternative for Germany, or AfD, won 20.8 per cent of votes in the election for the state legislature in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. ANALYSIS How Angela Merkel juggles Europe many crises'Refugees welcome' policy faces backlash after Germany attacks'Extreme anti-refugee group' sets up shop in Canada "This was a dark day for Merkel," Thomas Jaeger, a political scientist at Cologne University, told Reuters. "Everyone knows that she lost this election. It is, however, the state where Merkel has her parliamentary constituency, and Sunday regional vote was the first of five before a national election expected next September. Her district in parliament is there, she campaigned there, and refugees are her issue." Economically weak Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, in Germany northeastern corner, is home to 1.6 million of the country 80 million people and is a relative political lightweight. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.