German Social Democrat candidate would beat Merkel in direct vote for chancellor - poll

New Social Democratic Party (SPD) leader Martin Schulz addresses a news conference at their party headquarters in Berlin, Germany, January 30, 2017. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch

BERLIN (Reuters) - Martin Schulz, the German Social Democrats' candidate for federal elections in September, would beat Chancellor Angela Merkel if balloting was based on a direct leadership vote, a poll showed on Friday.

The poll carried out by Forschungsgruppe Wahlen for broadcaster ZDF showed 49 percent of Germans wanted former European Parliament President Schulz to be their chancellor while 38 percent would prefer Merkel to stay in office.