The conservative CDU/CSU party is likely to be the biggest force in Germany’s next federal parliament, or Bundestag, with around 28.5% of the vote. Friedrich Merz, the party leader, is set to be Germany’s next chancellor. He celebrated the election campaign, emphasizing the urgency to form a new government.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is anticipated to take the second spot, capturing a significant 20.6% of the votes. This election followed the collapse of a three-party coalition last year, leading to a snap election.
CDU/CSU is a center-right political alliance made up of two parties: the Christian Democratic Union and the Christian Social Union from Bavaria. Merz, who has led the CDU/CSU since 2022, received warm cheers when he appeared at the CDU headquarters in Berlin after the exit polls. He was accompanied by Markus Söder, the CSU leader, who thanked voters for their support and declared the party’s election victory.
Söder called it a “historic election night,” noting that the CDU and CSU had thoroughly prepared for the polls. Merz recognized the significant responsibility that lies ahead for him and his party.
With the CDU/CSU set to lead, the AfD’s co-chairwoman, Alice Weidel, hailed their result as “historic,” noting an increase of over nine percentage points from the last election. Her co-chair, Tino Chrupalla, emphasized that the party earned the trust of the voters, and their success should be acknowledged by others.
The Social Democrats (SPD) are expected to come in third with 16.4% of the votes. Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who leads the SPD, described the results as “bitter” and acknowledged his party’s defeat. He offered his congratulations to Merz on the anticipated success.
These exit polls were based on anonymous surveys from 560 polling stations, out of about 80,000. While they are often quite accurate, official results are expected to be released early on Monday.
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