a speech to supporters . He thanked those who helped lead his campaign and those who supported him . The two parties currently are in a coalition , with Steinmeier as foreign minister . Few doubted that Merkel 's party would receive the most votes . The question was what kind of coalition will be formed -- another broad centrist one , across the political divide , or a more right-leaning one . Merkel favors cutting taxes to spur growth , while Steinmeier opposes tax breaks . The country is deep in debt . What 's at stake in the German election '' Voters chose members of the lower house of parliament , or Bundestag , who will pick the head of government . Each German had two votes -- one for a member of parliament representing a district and another for a political party . The election Sunday followed release of a threatening videos from al Qaeda and the Taliban warning Germans not to vote for leaders who want to keep the country 's troops in Afghanistan . Security was tightened at airports and train stations , and authorities on Saturday banned all flights over the Oktoberfest beer festival
BERLIN , Germany -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel defeated her foreign minister Sunday to win another four-year term , according to exit polls reported by German television network NTV . German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her husband , Joachim Sauer , vote Sunday in Berlin . NTV reported Merkel 's center-right Christian Democratic Union -LRB- CDU -RRB- party received 33.7 percent of the vote , based on exit poll projections . The polls show Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier 's center-left Social Democrats received 23.4 percent , the network reported . `` Not only are you happy , I am very happy as well , '' Merkel told cheering supporters at her headquarters . `` We 've accomplished something great . We 've done it . We 've reached our election goal , to retain a stable majority in Germany and a new government with a new coalition . '' The crowd chanted , `` Angie , Angie , Angie . '' Steinmeier , meanwhile , conceded what he called `` a bitter defeat '' for the Social Democrats . `` The voters have decided , and the result is a bad day , '' Steinmeier said in