Saarland state premier Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer with Angela Merkel. A German regional vote on Sunday will be the first litmus test in an election year where Chancellor Angela Merkel faces her toughest challenge yet from the resurgent Social Democrats. Since then it has been ruled by the CDU, alone or in coalition, except for the 1985-98 reign of former SPD premier Oskar Lafontaine. In the home stretch of the campaign, Merkel will Thursday visit the small Saarland town of Sankt Wendel, a day before Schulz heads to the state. A victory for the left in Saarland would "send a signal," said news weekly Der Spiegel.

Source: The Local March 23, 2017 07:30 UTC