Merz, an old-school conservative who has never held a government role previously, is set to lead Europe’s biggest economy and most populous state, after his center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its sister party won 28.6 percent of the vote, according to preliminary official results.
“Let’s get the party started,” Merz, 69, told supporters as he declared victory at the CDU’s party headquarters in central Berlin, an apparent nod to wanting to get coalition negotiations underway quickly as the region grapples with US President Donald Trump’s upending of Europe and US relations.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) became the second-largest party, with an unprecedented 20.8 percent, preliminary official results showed, meaning the party – once on the fringes as officially suspected of extremism – is now a major political force. However, it faces exclusion from government by other parties, due to what is known as a “firewall” arrangement.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) took just 16.4 percent of the vote following the collapse of its “traffic light coalition” government – a dramatic turnaround in the party’s fortunes since the 2021 election, when it won 25.7 percent.
Merz now faces an enormous task following Sunday’s snap election that was dominated by concerns over immigration, the economy and the return of Trump.
“My absolute priority will be to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that, step by step, we can really achieve independence from the USA,” he said at a roundtable event later on Sunday.
“I would never have believed that I would have to say something like that on television. But at the very least, after Donald Trump’s statements last week, it is clear that the Americans – at least this part of the Americans in this administration – are largely indifferent to the fate of Europe,” he added.
Sunday’s preliminary results cap off an eventful election period that drew extraordinary involvement from White House officials and has once again seen debate rage around Germany’s immigration policies.
Trump sent shockwaves across Europe after he pushed ahead with peace talks on Ukraine with Russia, excluding both Kyiv and European leaders – prompting European leaders to hold emergency talks to discuss its unified response on the crisis.
Merz also referenced Elon Musk’s “intervention in the German election campaign” in recent days. “The interventions from Washington were no less dramatic and drastic and ultimately outrageous than the interventions we have seen from Moscow,” he said at the televised event.
“We are under such massive pressure from two sides that my top priority is to create unity in Europe.”
The CDU’s party headquarters were filled with cheers and applause on Sunday evening as the exit polls were revealed and it became clear that the opposition party was set to become the largest group. Outside the building, a small group of protesters had gathered to demonstrate against what they perceive as party leader Friedrich Merz’s hard line on immigration.
The mood at the AfD election party, meanwhile, was ecstatic as it emerged that the party had almost doubled its support, with people cheering and waving Germany flags. Party co-leader Alice Weidel took to the stage to tell cheering crowds that the AfD had “never been stronger.”
Germany’s rebuilding after the Nazi era came under the US-led NATO security alliance and its later prosperity was powered by cheap Russian energy and trade with China.
What was once certain has unraveled and if Merz – who has pledged to tack right and promised to provide leadership in Europe – does become chancellor he has an enormous task ahead.
Two recent deadly attacks, one in Magdeburg before Christmas and another in Munich last week – both carried out by migrants with differing motives – fanned the flames of division in the run up to Sunday’s vote.
The AfD, which has been accused of using immigrants has a scapegoat, capitalized on these attacks for its own political gain, and has even called for “remigration” – the mass expulsion of immigrants, regardless of their citizenship status in Germany.
Both the CDU and the SPD also ramped up pledges around irregular migration and protecting internal security in the wake of recent attacks, meaning that even if the AfD do not take office they have already shaped the debate.
With all votes counted, world leaders began congratulating Merz on his election win.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a post on X that he looked forward “to working with the new government to deepen our already strong relationship, enhance our joint security and deliver growth for both our countries.”
French President Emmanuel Macron said he wanted to work together for a “strong and sovereign Europe.”
“In this period of uncertainty, we are united to face the great challenges of the world and of our continent,” he posted on X.
Of the 60 million Germans eligible to vote on Sunday, 82.5 percent cast their ballot, according to official data — an increase from 2021 when voter turnout was at 76.4 percent.
Under Germany’s system it is difficult for any party to gain enough votes to govern alone and it remains to be seen what form coalition-building talks will take.
Some aspects, however, are already clear-cut; other main parties made clear that the AfD will not be part of any negotiations, meaning it is shut out of power for now.
It seems likely that Merz will call on Scholz’s Social Democrats – the other major centrist party in Germany – to build a government. Another potential coalition partner is the environmental Greens, which served in Scholz’s coalition government.
The “traffic light” coalition brought together an uneasy alliance of three ideologically different parties and its collapse triggered Sunday’s snap vote, a relative rarity in a country which has long had one of the most stable political systems in Europe.
Also notable in the exit polls was a successful outcome for the socialist Die Linke party, which won 8.8 percent – comfortably pushing it over the 5 percent threshold needed to enter parliament.
It remains unclear at this stage whether Merz will need one or two partners to form a majority. Three-way coalition governments in Germany are rare.
Overall, it could take weeks of haggling to form a new government, meaning more political paralysis for Berlin at a time of wider uncertainty.
