Merkel's party suffers setback in Hamburg election

BERLIN, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative party lost its absolute majority in the Hamburg state election on Sunday, a new setback for the party in the run-up to the federal elections next year.

According to the exit polls, Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) won 42.5 percent of the vote, down from 47 percent four years ago.

Even though the Hamburg Mayor Ole von Beust, who has ruled the northern port city since 2001, should be able to keep power, a coalition government looks hard at the moment.

CDU's main rival Social Democratic Party (SPD) scored 34 percent, 4 points higher than four years ago.

The Left party, founded by a group of formerly disgruntled SPD members, is expected to enter the Hamburg parliament for the first time with 6.5 percent of the votes.

The Hamburg election was seen as one of the key tests for Merkel, whose party has seen continued decline of support in recent local elections.

In January, Merkel's party lost its decade-long absolute majority in the state of Hesse, home to the German financial capital of Frankfurt, dealing her one of the heaviest blows since she came to power in 2005.