Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is set to return to power with the far-right Alternative for Germany as second-largest party, exit polls show, after snap elections dominated by concerns over immigration, the economy and the return of Donald Trump.
The CDU’s party headquarters were filled with cheers and applause on Sunday evening as the exit polls were revealed and it became clear that the opposition party was set to become the largest group after Sunday’s election.
Outside the building, a small group of protesters had gathered to demonstrate against what they perceive as party leader Friedrich Merz’s hard line on immigration.
Merz declared victory at the event in central Berlin, as he told supporters “Let’s get the party started,” an apparent nod to wanting to get coalition negotiations underway quickly.
f the exit poll stands, the CDU will claim 28.8% of the vote in Sunday’s election, meaning Merz – an old-school conservative who has never held a government role previously – will become the new chancellor of Germany, Europe’s biggest economy and most populous state.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) came in second, according to the exit poll, with an unprecedented 20.2%, meaning the party – once on the fringes as officially suspected of extremism now a major political force.
However it faces exclusion from government by other parties, due to what a “firewall” arrangement. More here