Polling stations have opened across Germany in key elections that are predicted to see a shift to the right.

More than 59 million people in Europe’s biggest economy are eligible to cast ballots.

They’ll be electing the 630 members of the lower house of parliament, known as the Bundestag.

The leadup to the vote has been dominated by concerns about migration, the struggling economy and uncertainty about the future of Ukraine.

Exit polls are expected to come out as soon as polling stations close at 6 p.m. local time (1700 UTC).

While polls suggest the conservative CDU/CSU bloc will garner the most votes, it’s unlikely any party will win a majority.

That means two or more parties will probably have to form a coalition — a process that can sometimes take weeks or even months of tough negotiations.

A recent ARD-Deutschlandtrend poll found that immigration and the economy were front-of-mind for many German voters.

But other issues were at play, too.

 

Germany votes today in snap elections that are being held after the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’ three-way ruling coalition last November. DW will be tracking the latest developments and bringing you multimedia content and analysis on the vote.

Among the most pressing issues for voters are immigration, the state of the German economy, foreign policy and climate change, according to an ARD-Deutschlandtrend poll from January.

While the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU)/Christian Social Union (CSU) alliance under Friedrich Merz is ahead in the polls, it is unlikely to be able to govern alone. 

Merz vowed to be a “strong voice” in Europe at the last CDU rally before the vote.  

The polls put the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in second place. However no other party is open to working with them, meaning they will likely be left out of government. 

The ruling Social Democrats (SPD) under current Chancellor Scholz have been polling in third place.

That makes them a likely coalition partner for the CDU. The environmentalist Greens are another option. 

Depending on the results, and if the poll projections prove true, the CDU may have to govern with either one other party or two.