EU president congratulates Merkel

Brussels, Sep 23 (IANS) European Council President Herman Van Rompuy Sunday congratulated German Chancellor Angela Merkel whose conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) and their Bavarian sister party the Christian Social Union (CSU) may be on course to win an absolute majority in the country’s federal elections.

“I congratulate Angela Merkel on the results of the elections,” Van Rompuy said in a statement posted shortly after exit polls gave the CDU/CSU bloc some 16-point lead over their arch rival the Social Democrats (SPD), Xinhua reported.

“I am confident that Germany and its new government will continue its commitment and contribution to the construction of a peaceful and prosperous Europe at the service of all its citizens,” he said.

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The poll by ARD television showed that the CDU/CSU bloc secured about 42.5 percent of the ballots in Sunday’s election, an improvement of more than eight points over four years ago.

The SPD took 25.6 percent of votes, the Green Party - the SPD’s favored ally - 8.0 percent, and the Left Party 8.0 percent.

Merkel’s junior coalition partner Free Democrats (FDP) and the anti-euro Alternative for Germany (AfD) scored 4.6 percent and 4.9 percent respectively, meaning that they might not enter the parliament as parties need 5 percent support to claim seats in the lower house.

The official provisional results of the German election will be announced Monday morning.

Earlier, a smiling Merkel dressed in blue told chanting supporters in her party headquarters in Berlin that her party had won a “super victory”.

“This is a super result,” said Merkel. “Tonight we could celebrate.”

“Together we will do everything in the next four years to again make them successful years for Germany,” Merkel said.