BERLIN (AP) — Two German states choose new legislatures on Sunday, the first major political test of a year in which a national election will determine who succeeds Chancellor Angela Merkel. The votes come at a challenging time for the longtime leader’s party. They also are expected to highlight the increased popularity of the environmentalist Green party, which could hold the key to forming Germany’s next government and is expected to make its own first bid for the chancellery. Amid discontent over a sluggish start to Germany’s vaccination drive and as a long lockdown only gradually loosens, Merkel’s center-right Union bloc faces blowback over allegations that two lawmakers profited from deals to procure masks early in the coronavirus pandemic.
Merkel’s party faces tough election-year test in state polls
