Source: Bloomberg
“Germany’s ruling parties suffered losses in municipal elections in North Rhine-Westphalia, the country’s most-populous state, intensifying pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government to revive growth and push through reforms. The far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, was able to more than triple support to 16.5% across the state, according to exit polls from Infratest dimap for public broadcaster WDR on Sunday. Merz’s Christian Democrats lost 0.3 points to 34%, but remained the strongest force in the state. The co-ruling Social Democrats, which once counted the state as a stronghold, declined 1.8 points to 22.5%.” 909/14/25)