Germany: Merkel government hit by poll loss

Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling coalition suffered bruising losses in two state legislative elections in Germany Sunday, losing control of the main prize, Baden-Wuerttemberg state, projections showed.

In that large and rich south-western state, Merkel's Christian Democrats ended a 58-year winning streak, gaining only 39 per cent of the ballots, a 5-percentage-point loss of vote share.

The Green Party was expected to nominate its first state premier in German history. The environmentalists were expected to win about 24 per cent, enough to rule Baden-Wuerttemberg in a coalition with the Social Democrats, who won 23 per cent.

For more: Merkel government hit by poll loss in Germany - Monsters and Critics