German SPD extends lead over Merkel's sliding conservatives

FILE PHOTO: Election posters of Germany's top candidates for chancellor Annalena Baerbock, co-leader of the Green party; North Rhine-Westphalia State Premier and Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader, Armin Laschet and Olaf Scholz, German Minister of Finance of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) (L-R) are seen in Hamburg, Germany August 31, 2021. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer/File Photo

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) have opened up a five-point lead over Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives ahead of a Sept. 26 national election that promises multiple coalition options, a poll showed on Thursday.

The centre-left SPD's surge in polls has dimmed the prospects of another victory by the conservatives, whose promise of "steadfastness" is failing to resonate with voters concerned by climate change, immigration and the COVID-19 pandemic.