Polls open in Germany's election to end Merkel era

Outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel and her party's candidate to replace her, Armin Laschet, spoke at a rally on Saturday | Photo: EPA

Germans began voting Sunday in a watershed national election that will mark the end of 16 years in power for Angela Merkel and determine who will succeed her as chancellor.

Polls opened at 0600 GMT and will close at 1600 GMT, with last surveys showing centre-left Social Democrat (SPD) candidate Olaf Scholz with a razor-thin lead over Armin Laschet of Merkel's CDU-CSU conservative alliance.

Source: AFP