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Conservative Opposition Wins German Election
In a tightly contested national election on Sunday, Germany's conservative opposition leader Friedrich Merz emerged victorious, though with a less-than-enthusiastic win. At the same time, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) doubled its support, marking the strongest showing for a far-right party in the country since World War II, according to projections.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz of the center-left Social Democrats conceded defeat, acknowledging the “bitter election result” for his party, which secured just over 16%, its worst postwar result. The projections, based on exit polls, placed Merz’s Union bloc at around 28.5%, while AfD garnered 20.5%, up from 10.3% in 2021.
The election, which was brought forward by seven months after Scholz’s coalition government collapsed in November, was dominated by concerns over Germany’s stagnant economy and the growing immigration debate. Merz, who campaigned on tougher migration policies, faces a challenging path ahead to form a coalition government.
Despite Merz’s win, AfD leader Tino Chrupalla celebrated the party’s historic achievement, though Merz has firmly ruled out coalition talks with AfD. “We have fundamentally different views,” he said, citing sharp divides on foreign policy and security.
The results also saw a disappointing performance for Scholz’s former coalition partner, the Greens, who received around 12%. The pro-business Free Democrats, another coalition partner, looked likely to lose their parliamentary seats, while the Left Party made gains with 9%.
The election’s outcome has left Merz tasked with forming a viable government in the coming weeks, with his immediate goal being to create a stable coalition before Easter. However, with a divided political landscape and rising discontent, the path to a functioning government may not be straightforward.
In his victory speech, Merz stressed the need for quick action, emphasizing, “The world out there isn’t waiting for long-drawn-out coalition talks.” Scholz, in contrast, condemned AfD’s success, vowing to never accept the far-right's influence in the government.