Reaction as Merkel's bloc eyes worst result yet

Heading toward its worst-ever result in the country's parliamentary election, outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel's center-right bloc was locked in a very close race Sunday with Germany's center-left Social Democrats, projections indicated.

Top officials from both parties said they hope to lead Germany's next government and have their candidates succeed Merkel, who has been in power since 2005.

Projections from ARD public television, based on exit polls and early counting, put voters' support at 25.5% for the Social Democrats, whose candidate for chancellor is outgoing Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and 24.5% for Merkel's Union bloc under would-be successor Armin Laschet, governor of Germany's most populous state.

Separate projections for ZDF public television had the Social Democrats ahead by 25.7% to 24.6%. Both put the environmentalist Greens in third place with about 14% support.

Those results would be the worst for the Union bloc in post-World War II Germany.

The electoral system typically produces coalition governments but post-war Germany has never previously seen a winning party take less than the 31% of the vote that the Union won in 1949.

That was also the center-right bloc's worst result until now.