Germany's opposition conservatives won the national elections on Sunday, resulting in their leader Friedrich Merz becoming the next chancellor. The far-right party 'Alternative for Germany' took second place, showing the best result in its history, according to exit poll data.
After a campaign marked by a series of violent attacks and interference from the US President Donald Trump's administration, the CDU/CSU conservative bloc gained 28.5% of the votes, followed by AfD with 20%, according to an exit poll published by the public broadcaster ZDF.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats (SPD) showed their worst result since World War II, gaining 16.5% of the votes. The 'Greens' gained 12%, and the FDP hovered around the 5% threshold needed to enter parliament. The far-left party Die Linke at the end of the campaign gained 9% of the votes, and the splinter left party BSW — 5%.
The election results laid the groundwork for protracted coalition negotiations and most likely mean the formation of a three-party coalition consisting of one or two parties that were part of Scholz's unpopular alliance, which dissolved in November.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz acknowledged his defeat in the elections and congratulated the CDU/CSU candidate Friedrich Merz on the election victory. 'Congratulations on the election result,' he is quoted by Bild. The congratulations were also joined by the CSU chairman and Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder. 'We are a country that now, finally, needs clear, strong leadership again. And there is a party and a person whom Germans trust to do this. And the election results speak to this. It is Friedrich Merz. Congratulations on this,' he stated.
The 69-year-old Merz has no government experience, but he promised to play a more leading role than Scholz and maintain closer ties with key allies, bringing Germany back to the heart of Europe, writes Reuters. A liberal who shifted the conservatives to the right, he is considered the opposite of former conservative chancellor Angela Merkel, who led Germany for 16 years. However, lacking a majority in an increasingly fragmented political landscape, his conservatives will have to seek partners to form a coalition.
Sunday's elections took place after Scholz's coalition, consisting of his SPD, the 'Greens,' and the pro-market FDP, collapsed in November due to disputes over budget spending.