Chancellor Merkel's coalition has been given the thumbs down in key regional elections in North Rhine Westphalia

The loss is a huge blow to Angela Merkel, just a little over six months into her second term as Chancellor, and as we said, it will cost her her coaltion majority in the Bundesrat. That could make it considerably harder for Merkel to push through some of the reforms she believes are needed to revitalise Europe's top economy. The opposition SPD is hoping it will get the chance to govern North Rhine Westphalia together with the Greens -