German exit polls: Nationalists strong, Merkel party weak

A nationalist, anti-immigration party performed strongly in a state election Sunday in the region where Chancellor Angela Merkel has her political base, likely overtaking her conservative party to take second place, exit polls indicated yesterday. Exit polls for ARD and ZDF public television put support for Alternative for Germany, or AfD, in yesterday’s election for the state legislature in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania around 21 percent. They put support for Merkel’s Christian Democrats at 19 or 20 percent, which would be their worst result yet in the state. The center-left Social Democrats, who lead the outgoing state government, were exp…