Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives won a surprise victory yesterday in regional elections in Germany’s most populous state, giving Europe’s most powerful leader a boost in the run-up to national elections in September.
The Christian Democrats took control of North Rhine-Westphalia from their Social Democrat rivals, dealing a heavy blow to SPD leader Martin Schulz as he bids to unseat Ms Merkel in Berlin.
The anti-immigration Alternative for Germany party also failed to achieve its target, leaving the populist right in Europe with another electoral setback following National Front leader Marine Le Pen’s defeat in France last week.