Germany’s conservative opposition leader, Friedrich Merz, secured a narrow victory in Sunday’s national election, while the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) doubled its support in its strongest showing since World War II, according to projections.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz conceded defeat after his center-left Social Democrats suffered their worst postwar result, finishing third. Projections from ARD and ZDF put Merz’s Union bloc at 28.5%, AfD at 20.5%, and the Social Democrats at just over 16%. The Greens polled at 12%, while smaller parties, including the left-wing BSW, hovered around the 5% threshold for parliamentary seats.
The election, held seven months early after Scholz’s coalition collapsed, was dominated by economic stagnation, migration concerns, and geopolitical uncertainty over Ukraine and Europe’s alliance with the U.S.
Merz aims to form a government by Easter, but coalition talks will be complex. He has ruled out working with AfD, despite its historic gains. If he lacks a majority, he may need a deal with the Social Democrats and Greens.
AfD leaders hailed their result as a shift in Germany’s political landscape, but Scholz and other mainstream politicians vowed to keep the far right out of government.
More than 59 million Germans were eligible to vote for the 630-seat Bundestag, which will shape the country’s direction amid rising global challenges.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
