Germany Heads to the Polls, Close Election to Succeed Angela Merkel is Expected

Germany will soon have a new leader after 16 years with Chancellor Merkel at the helm. It is expected to be a tight race.

German parliamentary elections are underway Sunday in a tight race with the latest poll numbers showing the center-left Social Democrats with a slight edge.

The winner will succeed conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel who has been in power since 2005.
Merkel warned of the consequences of the country electing leaders from the left, saying it’s important to “[keep] Germany stable.”
The Greens party is polling third after being in the lead earlier this year, though a third-place finish could put the party in an important position when the winner eventually forms a coalition government.

CNN highlighted the Greens’ role as “kingmaker”, saying alternative parties to the traditional Christian Democrats and Social Democrats are seeing an increase in support lately.
The New York Times noted a large climate protest in Germany on the eve of the election.
Incredulously, The Washington Post made Donald Trump the focus of their coverage of the German elections.

Fox News conducted a brief rundown of Merkel’s reign, who the leading candidates are, and how German federal elections work.
The Wall Street Journal covered the resistance and alleged discrimination immigrant and candidates who are not ethnically German are facing, especially those of Turkish descent.
The Daily Mail focused its coverage on the “floundering” of Merkel’s party, whose candidate has been criticized for its handling of devastating floods earlier this year.

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