First Green state premier likely to emerge from state elections (Germany)

[reorg]

Source: Deutsche Welle

Polling stations have closed in two German states in elections, with the Green party making significant gains in the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg and Chancellor Angela Merkel's CDU suffering losses, according to projections on German public television.

The Greens polled 24.9 percent, an increase of 13.3 percent since the last state elections in 2006, meaning the state could be led by a Green party premier, a first in German history. The Greens' leader in Baden-Württemberg, Winfried Kretschmann, has been tapped as a likely candidate.

... The Social Democrats polled 23.4 percent, which means a coalition of SPD and Greens is likely.

... As predicted, Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) took a severe drubbing, polling 38.2 percent in Baden-Württemberg, a drop of six percent.

The Free Democrats, partners with the CDU at the national level, polled 5 percent, leaving the two parties short of a majority to form a coalition. ...

Read more: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,14943224,00.html

---

Projection two hours later (19:56 hours local time):

CDU 39.3
Greens 24.1
SPD 23.2
FDP 5.0
Left Party 2.8

Big wins for the Greens also in another state election, Rhineland-Palatinate. Big losses for the FDP, kicked out in Rhineland-Palatinate and possibly in Baden-Württemberg as well.