Friedrich Merz Secures German Election Victory as Far-Right AfD Surges

Merz, leader of the CDU, faces coalition talks and vows to strengthen Europe while the far-right AfD becomes Germany’s main opposition party.

Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) won 28.6% of the vote, making him Germany's likely next chancellor and ending Olaf Scholz’s tenure as chancellor.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) doubled its vote share to 20.8%, becoming the second-largest party and securing its strongest result since its founding in 2013.
Merz has pledged to prioritize European defense independence, signaling a shift away from reliance on U.S. security under NATO following Donald Trump’s recent policy changes.
The CDU will likely form a coalition with the Social Democrats (SPD), who suffered their worst post-war election result with 16.4% of the vote.
AfD's rise has intensified debates over immigration, German identity, and EU relations, with concerns about its links to far-right extremism and anti-democratic rhetoric.