Hannelore Kraft, federal state premier of North-Rhine Westphalia (NRW) and top candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and Sylvia Loehrmann of the Greens (R) a coalition partner of the Social Democrats, pose for media before giving a TV interview following the NRW federal state election in Duesseldorf May 13, 2012. Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives suffered a crushing defeat on Sunday in an election in Germany's most populous state, a result which could embolden the left opposition to step up its criticism of her European austerity policies. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch (GERMANY - Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS)