Europe News
German state of Saarland calls snap election after coalition falls
Jan 26, 2012, 12:18 GMT
Berlin - Germany's southwestern state of Saarland on Thursday called a snap election after a coalition involving Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) and the Free Democrats (FDP) collapsed.
The March 25 poll will be a test for the CDU, who currently dominate Saarland and could lose the state to the opposition Social Democrats.
Saarland's state assembly voted to dissolve itself after state premier Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer's coalition collapsed.
Opposition parties made significant gains in seven state elections last year, making it hard for Merkel to pass legislation in the upper house of the German parliament, which represents the states.
Only one other German state, Schleswig-Holstein, is set to hold a legislative election this year, on May 6.
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