GERMANY’S conservatives have won a historic election after beating out the far-right AfD party.
Alternative for Germany (AfD) were heavily backed by international voices – including Elon Musk and US VP JD Vance – and managed to take second place after making their biggest gains since World War II.
APConservative leader Friedrich Merz is most likely to become Germany’s next chancellor after his CDU/CSU bloc came out on top in the election[/caption]
APMerz celebrating the election result around his team[/caption]
Current Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his Social Democratic Party (SPD) collapsed to a dismal third place with the outspoken leader set to be ousted from his role shortly.
Preliminary results of the official election show Merz’s Christian Democrats (CDU) and their Bavarian sister party the Christian Social Union took 28.5 per cent of the vote in first place.
The AfD won a record 20.8 per cent in second – securing its best result in a federal election since it formed in 2013.
Scholz’s SPD managed just 16.4 per cent of the vote in what turned out to be their worst result in the post-war era.
The leader of the CDU/CSU bloc, Friedrich Merz, is now the man most likely become Germany’s next chancellor.
He was unable to pull off a majority share of the votes which means a coalition within the German government will need to be formed.
During his victory speech on Sunday night, Merz said: “We have nearly eight weeks until Easter now, and I think that should be enough time – the maximum time – to form a government in Germany.”
But many fear creating a strong government will be tough due to the limited options for the conservative group.
Merz, 69, has already confirmed he will not allow the AfD to be involved due to their controversial views and widely condemned stance on social issues.
This view is shared across most of the parties who have all created a “firewall” designed to keep out the far-right as part of a long-running pact.
Despite this, AfD co-leader Alice Weidel, said “our hand remains outstretched to form a government”.
She also predicted that if the CDU continued to refuse to work with her party to “implement the will of the people”, the AfD would “overtake” them in the next election.
Scholz has also appeared to rule out joining forces with the CDU since the results were revealed and he officially conceded.
Merz says he remains focused on finding the right fit to form a government and expects to face complex coalition negotiations in the coming days and weeks.
It is unclear if he will need to find just one or potentially two partners to form a needed pact.
AfD’s ‘historic’ campaign
Leader of AfD Alice Weidel, praised her party’s best-ever national election result following – dubbing it as “historic”.
She told cheering supporters that the anti-immigration party was now “firmly anchored” in the political landscape and had “never been so strong on a national level”.
AfD became the first far-right party to win a state election in post-World War II Germany in Thuringia in September.
Support from Washington for the party has been seen as one of the biggest reasons for their rise.
President Donald Trump hailed the exit poll results when they first came out as a “great day for Germany”.
He wrote on Truth Social: “Much like the USA, the people of Germany got tired of the no common sense agenda, especially on energy and immigration.”
AfD’s campaign even echoed Trump-style populism, with supporters seen wearing MAGA-inspired caps reading “Make Germany Great Again”.
The party is backed by high-profile US figures like Elon Musk and Vice President JD Vance.
Race to be chancellor
FOUR candidates are left in the running all vying to become Germany’s next leader with each representing a distinct political vision.
Friedrich Merz (CDU): The 69-year-old leader of the centre-right Christian Democratic Union is the front-runner to become chancellor. Promising economic revival and strong leadership in Europe, Merz will need to form a coalition as his party is unlikely to secure an outright majority.
Olaf Scholz (SPD): The current chancellor and leader of the centre-left Social Democrats, Scholz has struggled to maintain support after his government collapsed late last year. He has positioned himself as a steady hand in uncertain times, but polls suggest his party will place third behind the CDU and AfD.
Alice Weidel (AfD): The leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany has propelled her party to its strongest showing in history. A staunch nationalist, Weidel has called for radical policies on immigration, the economy, and Germany’s place in the EU. Despite her success, she remains a deeply polarising figure.
Robert Habeck (Greens): The current vice chancellor and co-leader of the Greens, Habeck represents the environmentalist party’s push for climate action and social justice. However, the Greens have lost ground in recent months, making it unlikely that he will be a serious contender for the chancellorship
What the result could mean for Europe?
Merz has already started to speak on what a new-look German government could mean for Europe going forwards after weeks of continental unrest.
He warned Nato could soon be a thing of the past as he echoed calls from Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky to build a new alliance “independent” from the US.
The man tipped to become the next chancellor took his victory speech as a chance to speak on his plans for a united Europe.
He said his team will work to “quickly” establish an “independent European defence capability”.
Merz added: “My absolute priority will be to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that, step by step, we can really achieve independence from the USA.
“I never thought I would have to say something like this on a television program.
“But after Donald Trump’s statements last week at the latest, it is clear that the Americans, at least this part of the Americans, this administration, are largely indifferent to the fate of Europe.”
ReutersMerz speaking in Berlin on Sunday night[/caption]
RexGerman Chancellor Olaf Scholz was left in third place[/caption]