Merz's conservatives seek bounce-back win in high-stakes state vote

NAMPA / DPA

2026-03-22

Berlin (dpa) - German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservatives are hoping for a bounce-back win in Sunday's election in the wine-growing state of Rhineland-Palatinate, two weeks after an embarrassing defeat in the first of five regional votes across the country this year. A victory for Merz's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) would be a massive setback for the Social Democrats (SPD), the junior partner in Merz's national coalition government. The......

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