In a significant political shift for Germany, the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) emerged victorious in the recent snap election, marking a pivotal moment in the country’s governance. The election, held on Sunday, saw the CDU, alongside its Bavarian ally, the Christian Social Union (CSU), secure a combined total of 28.6 percent of the votes, translating to 208 seats in the Bundestag, Germany’s parliament. This result positions Friedrich Merz, the CDU leader, to become the next Chancellor, succeeding Olaf Scholz of the Social Democrats (SPD), who experienced a historic decline in support.
The Social Democrats, under Scholz’s leadership, suffered a dramatic drop in voter share, obtaining only 16.4 percent of the votes and 120 seats—an alarming 9.3 percent decrease from their performance in the 2021 election. This outcome represents the SPD’s worst electoral showing since 1887, a year marked by significant political repression under Chancellor Otto von Bismarck’s anti-socialist laws.
In a noteworthy development, the right-populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party achieved its best results to date, capturing 20.8 percent of the vote and 152 seats, thereby becoming the second-largest party in the Bundestag. This marks a significant milestone for the AfD, which doubled its vote share from the previous election and made substantial gains across the country, particularly in former East Germany. In states like Thuringia and Saxony, the AfD garnered 38.6 percent and 37.3 percent of the votes, respectively, while also achieving first-place finishes in two constituencies in former West Germany for the first time.
The election results have created a challenging landscape for coalition-building, as major parties have ruled out any political alliances with the AfD. Consequently, a coalition between the CDU and SPD appears to be the most likely outcome. The Greens, who were part of the outgoing coalition, saw their support decline to 11.6 percent, resulting in 85 seats, down from their previous 118.
The Left party secured 8.8 percent of the vote, winning 64 seats, while the left-wing populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance failed to cross the 5 percent threshold necessary for parliamentary representation, receiving only 4.972 percent. The market-liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP), which had previously triggered the snap election by exiting the governing coalition, also fell short, obtaining just 4.3 percent of the vote.
International reactions to the election results were swift. U.S. President Donald Trump publicly congratulated Merz on his victory, while Elon Musk expressed support for the AfD during the campaign. Vice President J.D. Vance met with both Merz and the AfD’s candidate for chancellor, Alice Weidel, at the Munich Security Conference, notably excluding any engagement with Scholz.
As Germany navigates this political upheaval, the implications of these election results will resonate not only within the country but also across European politics, highlighting a growing trend of right-wing populism and shifting alliances in the political landscape.