Merkel implores Germans to back conservatives as they hit record low

Chancellor Angela Merkel made an impassioned plea to German voters on Tuesday to back her would-be successor Armin Laschet at this month's national election, as an opinion poll showed support for their conservatives slumping to an all-time low.

The Forsa poll for RTL/n-tv put support for the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) at 25%, extending their lead over the conservative CDU/CSU bloc, who dropped 2 points from the previous week to 19%, which n-tv said was a record trough.

The SPD only took a poll lead last month, an upset that has blown wide open the election to determine the future course of Germany, Europe's largest economy and most populous country, after 16 years of steady, centre-right leadership under Merkel.

She plans to step down after the poll.