Sunday's triumph in North Rhine-Westphalia marked the third regional victory this year for Merkel's Christian Democrats, a strong sign that she has regained her popularity.
ADVERTISEMENTA stunning state election win by Angela Merkel’s conservative party
has provided the chancellor with powerful momentum ahead of the country’s general election.
Sunday’s triumph in North Rhine-Westphalia marked the third regional victory this year for Merkel’s Christian Democrats, a strong sign that she has regained her popularity.
It was a huge blow to the Social Democrats, whose leader Martin Schulz had high hopes to challenge Merkel for power in September.
Schulz had predicted that a victory for his party would make him the next German chancellor – which now seems a distant dream.
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Ulli Tückmantel, editor in chief of the Westdeutsche Zeitung told euronews: “It means, that the SPD has to worry about, whether Mr. Schulz can become Chancellor with his strategy.
“The “Schulz-train” – as he likes to say – has derailed now for the third time:
“They need to re-think their strategy. Mrs. Merkel on the other hand is stronger than ever.”
The SPD had until recently enjoyed a boost in national polls, but the defeat in their stronghold of North Rhine Westphalia suggests local voters had tired of them.
A voter said: “I am glad, that there is a change. Everything was more of the same. There was no going forward. They wanted to do something, but then they didn’t. There were too many disappointments. A change had to come, no matter how.”