The conservative alliance CDU/CSU emerged as the leading force in Germany’s general election, as per preliminary results, though the surge of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) may impede the formation of a governing coalition capable of spearheading a European response to emerging global challenges.
CDU/CSU’s Friedrich Merz appeared to be in the best position to spearhead coalition talks following the election, capturing approximately 29% of the vote, according to exit polls on public media. The AfD, capitalizing on discontent over immigration, crime, and energy costs, secured about 20% of the votes, nearly doubling their 2021 result.
Alice Weidel, the AfD’s chancellor candidate, hailed the party’s success as historical and called for cooperation with the CDU. Despite this, centrist parties maintain their pledge to bar formal cooperation with the anti-migrant AfD, which gained endorsements from high-profile figures like Elon Musk and US Vice President JD Vance.
Incumbent Chancellor Olaf Scholz suffered his Social Democrats’ worst performance since World War II, receiving around 16% of the votes. His coalition partners, the Greens and Free Democrats (FDP), also faced setbacks, with the Greens sliding to 13.5% and the FDP teetering at the 5% threshold for parliamentary representation.
Merz’s conservatives, lacking a clear majority, may need to form a coalition involving the Social Democrats and possibly the Greens for a new government by Easter. As chancellor, Merz will confront a multitude of challenges, including economic revival, managing strained transatlantic relations under a Trump presidency, and supporting Ukraine amid European calls for a more robust leadership in a volatile global landscape. The campaign mood was notably grim, with the rise of AfD focusing the debate heavily on immigration over other critical issues like housing, energy costs, and climate change.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/23/conservatives-poised-to-win-german-election-but-far-right-afd-doubles-support
