German election 2025 live updates: Germany goes to the polls

Germany heads to the polls this Sunday for snap federal elections in a vote that will shape the course of the EU’s largest member state and its biggest economy for the next four years.

The incoming government will inherit an economy that has shrunk for two years in a row for the first time in decades, burdened by bureaucracy, rising energy costs and a once-crucial car industry struggling to keep up with demand for electric vehicles.  

Germany’s conservative parties and far-right AfD lead in the polls, with the centre-right CDU’s Friedrich Merz likely to become chancellor, replacing Olaf Scholz from the centre-left SPD.

Merz’s party is pushing for tax cuts, reform of the country’s ailing military and a radical overhaul of its immigration and asylum rules.

Meanwhile, AfD leader Alice Weidel has made headlines for her unexpected bond with South African-born tech billionaire Elon Musk. The AfD has long been critical of the European Union and has said Germany should exit the bloc.

Join us for election day across digital platforms and TV, including this live blog.

Our expert correspondents will be reporting live from party conferences, offering in-depth analysis of the key moments and discussions shaping Germany’s future.