2013 German Election: A Look Back At The Campaigns Of Angela Merkel And Her Closest Rival, Peer Steinbrueck [PHOTOS]

Exit polls made clear on Sunday that incumbent German Chancellor Angela Merkel would be continuing her role in the office for a third term. While the spotlight is currently focused on Merkel as she prepares for next term, let’s take a look back at the campaign between Merkel, the candidate of the Christian Democratic Union, or CDU, and her closest rival Peer Steinbrueck, the candidate of the Social Democratic Party, or SPD.

At the time of this article’s publication, Merkel’s CDU/Christian Social Union coalition had about 41.7 percent of the vote, while Steinbrueck’s SPD had about 25.6 percent of the vote, according to the Guardian.

While Steinbrueck was Merkel’s closest rival, his campaign was marred after a photograph of himself extending a middle finger toward a camera was featured on the front page of the German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung. The cover was featured on multiple German newspapers after its initial publication, causing additional controversy for the SPD candidate.

Take a look back at Merkel’s and Steinbrueck’s campaigns in the photos here.