Almost half of Germany's first-time voters back Chancellor Angela Merkel, a poll by the Forsa Institut showed on Tuesday, providing a strong backbone of support as she prepares to bid for a fourth term in September. Among all potential voters, conservative Merkel had 43 per cent support, compared to 32 per cent for Martin Schulz, the chancellor candidate for the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD). But that lead extended to 47 per cent against 29 per cent among those aged 18 to 21, the poll showed. "Young people know Chancellor Merkel, with whom they grew up," said Manfred Guellner, who heads the Forsa institute. He said the poll showed that "especially young people are looking for stability and continuity in these uncertain times."

Source: The Star April 11, 2017 11:37 UTC