Merkel's conservative Christian Democratic Union takes 33.8% of the vote. The Social Democrats' crushing defeat clears the way for Merkel to align with the Free Democrats.Reporting from London - Chancellor Angela Merkel won a decisive second term Sunday in elections that are likely to shunt Germany's government to the right.
Merkel's conservative Christian Democratic Union took 33.8% of the vote in a contest that was almost unanimously criticized by commentators as dull and uninspiring.
As an added plus for Merkel, the small libertarian Free Democrats came in third with 14.6%, official results showed. That will allow her to rule in coalition with the pro-business party and pursue an agenda of lower taxes and labor reform.
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