Merkel govt braces for high-stakes German state election
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling coalition faces its second test in as many weeks on Sunday when voters go to the polls in the western state of Hesse for a regional election that could torpedo the national government.
Should Dr Merkel's conservative ally in Hesse, Volker Bouffier, lose his post as state premier, the chancellor's enemies will be emboldened ahead of her Christian Democratic Union's (CDU) party congress in early December and may try to hasten her demise.
The other risk for Dr Merkel is that her coalition partner, the Social Democratic Party (SPD), comes in third in Hesse, which is home to financial hub Frankfurt.
