Berlin, June 7

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s centre-right bloc claimed momentum on Monday for the September election that will choose Germany’s next leader after a larger-than-expected win in the last regional ballot before the nation votes. But the victory in a sparsely populated eastern state where it faced a challenge from the far right was mostly a triumph for the popular state governor.

Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union won Sunday’s election in Saxony-Anhalt with 37.1 per cent of the vote, far ahead of the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, with 20.8 per cent. Pre-election polls had pointed to a much narrower outcome.

Elections in Germany’s 16 states are often influenced by local issues, yet are also seen as important bellwethers for the national mood. — AP