So the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) is steady in the polls at 37%, and the SPD (Social Democrats) can only muster 20%. Most of the suspense centres on what kind of coalition might emerge under Mrs Merkel this time. At the age of 63, Mrs Merkel, who was first elected in 2005, is on her way to reaching her mentor Helmut Kohl’s record of being modern Germany’s longest-serving chancellor. Two years on, Germany’s “welcome culture” may have faded, but for most voters Mrs Merkel remains a safe pair of hands. Mrs Merkel owes her likely re-election to German domestic factors, not least the strength of the economy.

Source: The Guardian September 17, 2017 17:48 UTC