国际英语新闻：Merkel has lost control of coalition gov't: poll

About 62 percent agreed that "the coalition of CDU and FDP won't last much longer," while 31 percent expected Merkel's coalition would find ways to cooperate in the future.

The mass-circulation daily Bild and the weekly Die Zeit called the election a "massive slap" and a "humiliation" for Merkel's leadership because it reflected deep differences within the coalition.

Other mainstream media, such as Business daily Handelsblatt and Der Spiegel magazine, termed the difficult victory on Thursday Merkel's "first vote of no confidence" and "biggest failure" since she took office for a second term in October 2009.