September 23, 2013 -- Updated 1210 GMT (2010 HKT)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative party wins the
parliamentary elections, but falls short of a super majority, according
to preliminary results. FULL STORY
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MERKEL: MRS. NEIN
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VIDEO
September 23, 2013 -- Updated 1046 GMT (1846 HKT)
Angela Merkel wins big in Germany
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Angela Merkel wins third election
- Merkel's party comes within two seats of a super majority, early results show
- Her bloc's CDU and CSU parties garnered 41.5% of the vote, results show
- Merkel was elected as chancellor in 2005 and then again in 2009
Merkel's bloc -- the
Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Christian Social Union (CSU) --
garnered 41.5% of the vote, according to semi-official results released
by the Federal Election Office. Merkel's party was within two seats of
obtaining a super majority, a majority greater than a simple majority of
half-plus-one.
The results appeared to
validate Merkel's policies and leadership style as she has guided
Germany through the Eurozone's economic crisis amid criticism that she
has held back bailout help to struggling EU nations.
"This is a super result,"
Merkel, who was running in her third election, said in remarks to
supporters at CDU headquarters that were televised.
"It's too early to say how we will proceed," she said. "But today we should celebrate."
It's a far cry from her
first election in 2005, when Merkel's pre-election musings about tax
increases went down badly with voters. She took office with a small
plurality after her party was forced to build a coalition with her
opponent's party, the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD).
Merkel also took a hit in the 2009 elections amid German discontent over the country's role in Afghanistan.
The only hiccup of the
night Sunday appeared to be for Merkel's junior coalition party, which
appeared to be coming up short with 4.8% of the 5% needed to remain in
parliament, according to the preliminary results.
If Merkel fails to pull a super majority, she will be forced to build a coalition with an opposition party.
Merkel's CDU
consistently polled in the lead up to nationwide balloting between 40%
and 42% -- a 10-year high for CDU -- while the SPD, her closest
competitor, dipped at one point to a historic low of 23%.
The last time a party
had a super majority in Germany was in 1957 with Konrad Adenauer, the
country's first post-World War II chancellor.
Merkel is only the third post-war chancellor to win three successive elections.
CNN's Frederik Pleitgen reported from
Berlin, and Stefan Simons from Atlanta. CNN's Chelsea J. Carter and
Stephanie Halasz contributed to this report.
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