Germany is set to have a new government following elections overnight.
The leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Friedrich Merz, is expected to lead the next parliament as Chancellor.
Outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who called an early election when his coalition broke down, has conceded defeat.
The election also saw far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) secure about one-fifth of the vote, as more Germans expressed discontent with economic and migration policies.
Germany
From 2021 to 2024, Scholz led a three-party coalition made up of the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Greens, and the Free Democratic Party.
The government was thrown into chaos in November when the Free Democratic Party withdrew support for the coalition, leaving Scholz without a functioning majority.
In response, Scholz called an early election.
Top issues
Voters identified three main issues heading into the election:
- Economy: Germany has been affected by the same cost of living issues and high inflation as other Western economies.
- Migration: Multiple attacks in recent years have led to a rise in anti-migration rhetoric.
- Ukraine war: The German Government has spent €13.7 billion ($AU22.5 billion) on military aid for Ukraine since 2022.
AfD
In recent years, the anti-immigration and pro-nationalist party Alternative for Germany (AfD) has seen a spike in popularity.
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AfD polled around 10% at the previous federal election. The party’s popularity has grown amid dissatisfaction with high inflation, sluggish economic growth, and shifting attitudes about migration.
Germany’s domestic intelligence service has said the party should be treated as a potentially extremist group, a move upheld by regional courts.
Pre-election polling from German company Deltapoll showed men under 35 were the most likely demographic to support AfD.
About 17% of men under 35 said they would vote for AfD at the general election, compared to 6% of women.
American tech billionaire Elon Musk spoke at an AfD rally last month, calling the party the “best hope for the future of Germany”.
Results
Media and research companies conduct an exit poll to capture voter trends on polling day. While it’s not an official result, it is usually an accurate approximation of the final vote tally.
The exit polls in Germany show the CDU won the highest number of votes — about 29%.
AfD secured the second-highest number of votes, doubling its support from 10 to 20% compared to the previous election.
Next steps
Merz is now likely to become Chancellor, a role which involves leading Germany’s Parliament, called the Bundestag.
The CDU is likely to form a coalition with the SPD. Mainstream German parties have an unofficial agreement to avoid co-operating with far-right politicians called the ‘firewall’.
Based on current projections, the centre-right and centre-left parties would have enough seats to form a coalition without AfD. Coalition negotiations could take months.
