Conservatives Claim Victory in German Elections – Early Results

Early results indicate a win for Germany’s conservative party in the latest elections. Get the latest updates on the outcome and its political impact.

The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) emerged victorious in the snap elections for the German Bundestag, overcoming Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats. The anti-immigration party Alternative for Germany (AfD) has achieved its second-highest result ever and is expected to secure more seats in the federal parliament than at any previous point in its history.

Based on initial results published by Germany’s leading electoral authority on Monday, the CDU and its sister party CSU collectively secured 28.6% of the votes. This suggests that CDU leader Friedrich Merz is poised to become the next chancellor.

The AfD secured 20.8% of the votes, while the Social Democrats (SPD) garnered 16.4%. The Greens finished in fourth place with 11.6%.

An early election was triggered last year following the breakdown of the ruling coalition, which included SPD, the Greens, and the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP). Christian Lindner, leader of FDP, withdrew his support because of budgetary disagreements. Consequently, with his party garnering only 4.3% of votes in the election outcome, Lindner announced he would retire from active politics.

The AfD has seen its greatest success in the eastern regions, securing victories in Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, Brandenburg, and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Although it has emerged as the second-most popular political force nationwide, forming a government coalition remains challenging for the AfD due to other major parties deeming its policies “extremist” and refusing any collaboration.

In a Sunday night post on X, Merz vowed to “work towards forming a government that represents all Germans and addresses our country’s challenges.” He expressed optimism about Germany having a new government by Easter.

Alice Weidel, the AfD co-leader and chancellor candidate, expressed her gratitude to voters. She noted on X that “the AfD has managed to double its results. This remarkable success clearly shows that citizens are seeking political change.”