A centre-right coalition envisioned by German conservative leader Angela Merkel is running neck-and-neck with the countries' other main parties ahead of a general election on Sunday, a poll showed on Tuesday.
The poll by TNS Emnid showed support for Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) and sister party the Christian Social Union (CSU) rising 1.5 points to 42 percent, while their allies, the liberal Free Democrats (FDP), fell half a point to 6.5 percent.
Schroeder's SPD dropped one point to 33.5 percent. His coalition partners, the Greens, and the new Left Party were steady on 7 and 8 percent respectively. This put the CDU/CSU and FDP at 48.5 percent, the same as the other three main parties.
It is the first poll in the past week which has shown Merkel's party gaining.