Conservatives win German election while far-right party surges to second place
Provisional results confirmed that mainstream conservatives led by Friedrich Merz won Germany’s national election, while a far-right party surged to become the nation’s second-largest.
BERLIN — Provisional results confirmed that mainstream conservatives led by Friedrich Merz won Germany’s national election, while a far-right party surged to become the nation’s second-largest.
The campaign was dominated by worries about the yearslong stagnation of Europe’s biggest economy and pressure to curb migration, something that caused friction after Merz pushed hard in recent weeks for a tougher approach. It took place against a background of growing uncertainty over the future of Ukraine and Europe’s alliance with the United States.
The results released by the electoral authority showed Merz’s Christian Democrats and the center-left Social Democrats winning a combined majority of seats in the national legislature after small parties failed to make the electoral threshold.
That gives Merz the best chance of becoming the country’s next chancellor. He said on election night that he hopes to form a government by Easter at the latest.
He has ruled out a coalition with the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, which is now the country’s second-largest party after its best showing ever.
Rating: 5