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Merkel and eurosceptic allies beaten in Berlin

Updated: 2011-09-19 11:36

(Agencies)

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Merkel and eurosceptic allies beaten in Berlin

Top candidates Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) arrives in a television studio to give an interview, following the city-state election in Berlin September 18, 2011. [Photo/Agencies]

BERLIN - Germany's Social Democrats beat Angela Merkel's conservatives in a regional vote in Berlin on Sunday, handing the chancellor her sixth election defeat this year ahead of a key euro zone vote in parliament in two weeks' time.

Merkel and eurosceptic allies beaten in Berlin
Merkel's centre-right coalition suffered a further setback when their junior coalition partners at the national level, the Free Democrats (FDP), failed to clear the five percent threshold needed to win seats -- for the fifth time this year.

The beleaguered FDP, which had attempted to attract voters in Berlin with its increasingly euro-sceptic tactics, plunged to 1.8 percent from 7.6 percent in 2006, preliminary results showed.  

Their eroding support nationwide could destabilise Merkel's centre-right coalition, analysts said.  

Merkel, under fire for her hesitant leadership in the euro zone crisis, is halfway through a four-year term. But election setbacks for her CDU have hurt her standing before the vote on euro zone measures in parliament on September 29.

"We would be wise to show humility about this result," said a visibly stunned FDP deputy party leader, Christian Lindner. "It's a low-point but also a wake up call. We knew it was going to be a difficult year and that's been dramatically confirmed."

The SPD won 28.2 percent of the vote in Berlin, down from 30.8 percent in 2006 in Germany's largest city with 3.4 million inhabitants, according to an exit poll on ARD television.  

SPD Mayor Klaus Wowereit appeared to be headed for a third five-year term, with the Greens as his most likely coalition partner.

"The best part of the result tonight is that the voters showed the FDP they won't get anywhere with populist attacks against Europe," said SPD leader Sigmar Gabriel, celebrating his centre-left party's sixth win in seven regional votes this year.

"It shows the voters are smarter than the FDP campaign strategists and that you can't win an election by campaigning against Europe. The FDP tried that and failed."