Angela Merkel looking at defeat

Schwerin, Germany: Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party braced for a backlash at state polls on Sunday, while anti-migrant populists are poised for major gains a year after the German leader opened the borders to refugees. Around 1.33 million voters are electing a new regional parliament for the northeastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, which is also home to Merkel’s constituency Stralsund. The leader’s decision to let in tens of thousands of Syrian and other migrants has left her increasingly isolated in Europe, and exposed her to heavy criticism at home, including from her own conservative allies.