The "Alternative for Germany" (AfD) party has beaten Chancellor Merkel's party in a north-eastern state election on Sunday
Exit polls show:
- AfD 21.9%, behind the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) party
- Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats in 3rd place
"This was a dark day for Merkel," Thomas Jaeger, a political scientist at Cologne University, told Reuters. "Everyone knows that she lost this election. Her district in parliament is there, she campaigned there, and refugees are her issue."
