Early Results: Conservatives Triumph in German Elections
Preliminary results indicate that CDU has emerged victorious in Germany's snap parliamentary election.
TroibNews 
The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has secured victory in the snap elections for the German Bundestag, defeating incumbent Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his Social Democrats. The anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) has achieved its second-best result to date, projected to have more members in the federal parliament than ever before.
Preliminary results released by Germany’s electoral authority on Monday show that the CDU, along with its sister party the CSU, garnered 28.6% of the votes, positioning CDU leader Friedrich Merz as the likely next chancellor.
The AfD received 20.8% of the vote, while the Social Democrats trailed with 16.4%. The Greens finished fourth, capturing 11.6%.
The early election was necessitated by the breakdown of the ruling coalition, which comprised the Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens, and the Free Democratic Party (FDP). FDP leader Christian Lindner withdrew his support following budget disagreements, and his party received only 4.3% of the votes, leading him to announce his retirement from active politics.
The AfD has shown particularly strong results in eastern Germany, winning elections in Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, Brandenburg, and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Despite becoming the second-most popular political force nationwide, forming a government coalition may prove difficult for the AfD, as other major parties view its policies as “extremist” and have ruled out any collaboration.
In a post on X on Sunday night, Merz committed to “strive to form a government that would represent the entire German population and would solve the problems of our country.” He expressed optimism that Germany would have a new government by Easter.
AfD co-leader and candidate for chancellor, Alice Weidel, expressed gratitude to the voters, stating, “The AfD was able to double its result. The incredible success makes it clear: citizens want political change.”
Mathilde Moreau for TROIB News
Preliminary results released by Germany’s electoral authority on Monday show that the CDU, along with its sister party the CSU, garnered 28.6% of the votes, positioning CDU leader Friedrich Merz as the likely next chancellor.
The AfD received 20.8% of the vote, while the Social Democrats trailed with 16.4%. The Greens finished fourth, capturing 11.6%.
The early election was necessitated by the breakdown of the ruling coalition, which comprised the Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens, and the Free Democratic Party (FDP). FDP leader Christian Lindner withdrew his support following budget disagreements, and his party received only 4.3% of the votes, leading him to announce his retirement from active politics.
The AfD has shown particularly strong results in eastern Germany, winning elections in Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, Brandenburg, and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Despite becoming the second-most popular political force nationwide, forming a government coalition may prove difficult for the AfD, as other major parties view its policies as “extremist” and have ruled out any collaboration.
In a post on X on Sunday night, Merz committed to “strive to form a government that would represent the entire German population and would solve the problems of our country.” He expressed optimism that Germany would have a new government by Easter.
AfD co-leader and candidate for chancellor, Alice Weidel, expressed gratitude to the voters, stating, “The AfD was able to double its result. The incredible success makes it clear: citizens want political change.”
Mathilde Moreau for TROIB News
