German voters participated in Sunday’s election, with opposition leader Friedrich Merz claiming victory. Exit polls suggest Alternative for Germany (AfD) is heading for the strongest showing for a far-right party since World War II.
The election occurred amidst European challenges, including relations with the Trump administration, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, and continental security concerns.
“I am aware of the responsibility,” Merz said. “I am also aware of the scale of the task that now lies ahead of us. I approach it with the utmost respect, and I know that it will not be easy.”
“The world out there isn’t waiting for us, and it isn’t waiting for long-drawn-out coalition talks and negotiations,” he told cheering supporters. “We must now become capable of acting quickly again.”
What the projections suggest?
The exit polls and initial counting indicate Merz’s Union bloc garnering approximately 29% support, whilst Alternative for Germany (AfD) secured about 20%, doubling their 2021 performance.
Scholz’s Social Democrats witnessed a significant decline, securing just over 16%. Their coalition partners, the environmentalist Greens, managed to obtain 12-13% of the votes.
Amongst the smaller political entities, the hard-left Left Party showed promise with up to 9% support. The pro-business Free Democrats and Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance struggled near the crucial 5% threshold required for parliamentary representation.
The absence of a clear majority creates uncertainty around Merz’s coalition-building efforts, with the number of potential partners dependent on which parties successfully enter parliament.
‘Open for coalition negotiations‘: AfD’s Alice Weidel
AfD’s candidate for chancellor, Alice Weidel, said that “we have become the second-strongest force.”
She expressed openness to coalition talks with Merz’s party, stating that “otherwise, no change of policy is possible in Germany.” However, Merz and other mainstream parties have explicitly rejected any collaboration with AfD.
The Social Democrats’ general secretary, Matthias Miersch, suggested that the defeat was no surprise after three years of the unpopular government. “This election wasn’t lost in the last eight weeks,” he said.
Meanwhile Chancellor Olaf Scholz acknowledged defeat following exit polls revealing significant losses for his party. He addressed supporters, describing it as “a bitter election result” and “an election defeat” for his centre-left Social Democrats.
