German public television says estimates from the country's parliamentary elections September 22 indicate Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative party may have clinched a surprise absolute majority.
ARD television said combined estimates from exit polls and early vote counts suggest Merkel’s Christian Democrats took 42.5 percent of the vote.
That could mean she will become the only chancellor to govern without a junior coalition partner since Germany's first postwar leader, Konrad Adenauer.
The possibility of an absolute majority comes as Merkel’s current coalition partner, the pro-business Free Democrats, look set to fall short of passing the 5-percent threshold necessary to enter parliament.
The Christian Democrats’ traditional opponents, the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), scored around 26 percent, according to exit polls.
ARD television said combined estimates from exit polls and early vote counts suggest Merkel’s Christian Democrats took 42.5 percent of the vote.
That could mean she will become the only chancellor to govern without a junior coalition partner since Germany's first postwar leader, Konrad Adenauer.
READ MORE: What's At Stake In Germany's Election?
The possibility of an absolute majority comes as Merkel’s current coalition partner, the pro-business Free Democrats, look set to fall short of passing the 5-percent threshold necessary to enter parliament.
The Christian Democrats’ traditional opponents, the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), scored around 26 percent, according to exit polls.