CDU Wins German Election as FDP Faces Exit and AfD Surges
The CDU secures a clear victory, while the SPD suffers historic losses, and the AfD doubles its vote share to become the second-largest party.
- The CDU, led by Friedrich Merz, won the German federal election with 28.5% of the vote, improving on its 2021 result but still its second-worst performance historically.
- The AfD doubled its vote share to 20.5%, becoming the second-largest party, while the SPD fell to 16.5%, its worst result since 1949.
- The Greens dropped to 11.8%, losing ground compared to their 2021 performance, while the Left Party made a comeback with 8.7%.
- The FDP is projected to fall below the 5% threshold, prompting party leader Christian Lindner to announce his retirement from politics.
- The Bundestag will shrink to 630 seats due to a new election law, with coalition talks likely to be complex as Merz rules out working with the AfD or the Left Party.
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