Most Germans don't expect to miss Merkel: Poll

More than half of people in Germany don't think they will miss the country's long-running Chancellor Angela Merkel after she steps down following Sunday's elections, reported dpa, quoting a poll.

Some 52 per cent of respondents told Civey research institute they would probably or definitely not miss Merkel.

She is departing from the political stage after nearly 16 years in power. Germans head to the polls on Sunday to replace her, but polls suggest a close race between the two main candidates in the running.

Some 38 per cent of respondents, however, said they would miss Merkel. Ten per cent were undecided.

Voters for Merkel's party, the Christian Democrats, were most likely to say they would miss her, according to the poll, at 63 per cent.

Only 2 per cent of voters for the far-right Alternative for Germany expected to miss her.

Some 5,007 people responded to the poll between September 22 and 24. The results were weighted and are representative of the German population over 18.