Conservative Bloc Wins Germany Federal Election

Early results from Germany’s snap election put the conservative CDU/CSU alliance in the lead with 28.5%, followed by the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) at 20.8%, and Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s center-left Social Democrats (SPD) at 16.4%, according to German public broadcaster ARD.

CDU/CSU candidate Friedrich Merz is now the frontrunner to become Germany’s next chancellor. However, coalition talks are expected to take months before a new government is formed. The Bundestag will elect the chancellor once a governing coalition is in place.

Merz, who has ruled out cooperating with the far-right AfD, criticized former US President Donald Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk, stressing the need for European independence.

“The Americans—at least this administration—mostly don’t care about the fate of Europe one way or another,” he said on state broadcaster ARD.

The election was triggered by the collapse of Scholz’s three-party coalition, which included the SPD, Greens, and pro-business Free Democrats (FDP). The FDP had withdrawn last year over policy disagreements. FDP leader Christian Lindner announced his retirement from politics following the election.

Voter turnout reached 84%, the highest since Germany’s reunification in 1990, according to ARD.

Despite its electoral gains, the AfD remains politically isolated, with major parties refusing to govern with it. Co-leader Alice Weidel hailed the result as the party’s “historically strongest,” claiming the AfD is now “firmly rooted in mainstream society.”

Merz has expressed his intention to move quickly in coalition talks, aiming to have a government in place by Easter. He may seek to form an alliance with the SPD and/or the Greens. “Tonight, we celebrate, and from tomorrow we start working,” he said.

Scholz acknowledged his party’s defeat and confirmed he will remain in office until a new government is formed. “This is a bitter election result for the Social Democratic Party,” he said. “I take responsibility for it.”

(With agency input)