Preliminary results showed that the Christian Social Union (CSU) won 37.3 percent of the vote, marking the second time since 1962 that the party has lost its absolute majority. This outcome is expected to lead to internal conflict within the conservative party, which has already proven to be a challenging partner for Merkel in Berlin. Bavarian premier Markus Soeder acknowledged the disappointing results, stating that it was not an easy day for the CSU. Despite this setback, he expressed a desire to form a stable government as soon as possible. The CSU will now need to form a coalition, a significant blow for a party accustomed to ruling independently, as the pro-immigration Greens secured second place and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) entered the state assembly for the first time. The Greens increased their share of the vote to 17.8 percent, receiving support from more liberal CSU voters and traditional SPD supporters. The impact of the election in Bavaria will be felt in Berlin, with talk of the end of the Merkel era increasing. SPD leader Andrea Nahles attributed her party's weak performance in Bavaria to the federal government's poor performance in Berlin. This has become a challenge for Merkel. Horst Seehofer, leader of the CSU, has been causing problems for Merkel since her controversial decision in 2015 to open Germany's borders to over 1 million migrants. Seehofer has shifted his party to the right in an attempt to combat the rise of the AfD, which has ultimately been unsuccessful. The CSU's weak result in the Bavarian state election has been attributed to Seehofer's personal attacks on Merkel and his tough stance on asylum seekers, creating a polarized political climate that benefited the Greens and the AfD instead. According to political scientist Michael Weigl, the CSU's strategy has backfired. When asked if he would step down as CSU leader, Seehofer stated on ZDF that he was not dismissing the possibility, but there were multiple factors contributing to the party's poor performance that needed to be examined. The AfD received 10.7 percent of the vote according to preliminary results, while the Free Voters, a protest party seen as the CSU's most likely coalition partner, obtained 11.6 percent. The CSU has ruled out forming an alliance with the AfD. Internal conflicts between Merkel's Christian Democratic Union and the CSU have deepened since the parties were forced into a coalition with the Social Democrats after an inconclusive national election in March. The Bavarian election will be followed by another test for Merkel's conservative alliance, the Union, in two weeks. The CDU is expected to remain the largest party but lose votes in an election in Hesse, which is home to Frankfurt's financial center. Merkel will seek re-election as party chairwoman at the CDU's annual congress in December, despite recent internal conflicts within the party. Before the Bavarian vote, Merkel called for an end to infighting among her CDU and CSU allies. Techau from The German Marshall Fund of the United States think-tank described Merkel as "exhausted and weakened," as her fourth government has faced challenges over immigration and a scandal involving a former spymaster. He mentioned that despite initial doubts, her plan to maintain a moderate stance for the Union seems more sensible given the recent outcome for the CSU. The success of this approach will hinge on the outcome in Hesse.