Ex-communists win German state vote but far right surges
Alternative for Germany more than doubling its result
28 October, 14:36The far-right Alternative for Germany, meanwhile, was forecast to get 23.5%, more than doubling its result five years ago. The party's leader in Thuringia, Bjoern Hoecke, has come under scrutiny from Germany's domestic intelligence agency for his extremist views. Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democratic Union, which lost large numbers of votes compared with 2014, came third with 22.1%. It has ruled out a coalition with either the Left Party or Alternative for Germany, leaving Ramelow with only two options: a minority government or an unwieldy coalition with three other parties, one of which has already ruled outta king part. The once powerful Social Democrats, who have suffered several heavy election defeats recently and are increasingly questioning their support for Merkel's government at the national level, came fourth with just over 8%. In a separate election Sunday, the party's candidate for mayor of Hannover - a city the Social Democrats have governed for over 70 years - failed to get enough votes to qualify for a runoff election there. (ANSA-AP).