Lower Saxony state election, 15 October 2017

Background and further information:

Reports previewing and analysing the results of the elections in the State of Lower Saxony in Germany held on the 15 October 2017 - the first regional elections in Germany following the Federal Elections held on the 24 September 2017.

Early projections after the vote on the 15 October 2017 showed a clear victory for the Social Democrats (SPD) over the Christian Democrats (CDU).

Only after these regional elections would formal coalition talks begin at a federal level in Germany. Talks were expected to begin on the 18 October 2017 between Chancellor Merkel's CDU, the FDP and the Greens.

Regional Elections in Germany during 2017

+ Saarland state election, 26 March 2017
+ Schleswig-Holstein state election, 7 May 2017
+ North Rhine-Westphalia state election, 14 May 2017
+ Lower Saxony state election, 15 October 2017

• Primary Source

Deutsche Welle: Tag: Lower Saxony http://www.dw.com/en/media-center/all-media-content/s-100826?filter=lower+saxony

The Local.de: Tag: Lower Saxony https://www.thelocal.de/tag/lower+saxony

Blog: Open Europe, 11.10.17: Germany votes, again https://openeurope.org.uk/today/blog/germany-votes-again/

Deutsche Welle, 13.10.17: Lower Saxony election - what you need to know http://p.dw.com/p/2list

The Local.de, 12.10.17: How a knife-edge state election could help Merkel build her fourth-term government https://www.thelocal.de/20171012/lower-saxony-vote-coalition-poker-spell-tough-week-for-merkel

Deutsche Welle, 13.10.17: Survey setback for Merkel's Christian Democrats in Lower Saxony http://p.dw.com/p/2ll0w

Politico, 15-16.10.17: Germany’s Social Democrats score victory in regional election http://www.politico.eu/article/social-democrats-lower-saxony-germany-headed-for-victory-in-regional-election/

The Local.de, 15.10.17: Merkel's CDU party suffers election defeat in Lower Saxony https://www.thelocal.de/20171015/merkels-party-suffers-election-defeat-in-lower-saxony

EurActiv, 16.10.17: Merkel suffers local election setback as Schulz survives to fight another day http://www.euractiv.com/section/elections/news/merkel-suffers-local-election-setback-as-schulz-survives-to-fight-another-day/

Deutsche Welle, 15.10.17: Angela Merkel's conservatives in Lower Saxony can't top Social Democrats in state election http://p.dw.com/p/2lrWL

Politico, 13.10.17: Germany’s crucial election: The sequel http://www.politico.eu/article/germanys-crucial-election-the-sequel-angela-merkel-cdu-martin-schulz-spd/

Euro|Topics: Debates, October 2017: Merkel's days numbered after Lower Saxony vote? http://www.eurotopics.net/en/187722/merkel-s-days-numbered-after-lower-saxony-vote

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