Germany’s two governing parties lose support
BERLIN — Germany’s governing parties lost significant support in a state election Sunday that was marked by discontent with infighting in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s national government and prompted calls for her administration to get its act together quickly.
Projections showed Merkel’s conservatives heading for an extremely lackluster win in the vote for the central Hesse region’s state legislature.
Her center-left governing partners were on course for a dismal result, running neck-and-neck with the Greens for second place.
There was widespread pre-election speculation that a disastrous result for either or both parties could further destabilize the nat i onal government, prompting calls for the Social Democrats to walk out and possibly endangering Merkel’s own position.