The conservative opposition wins German elections, the end right is second

Berlin – German Conservative Opposition Leader Friedrich Merz won a Mališty win in the national choice on Sunday, while Alternative to Germany He doubled his support in the strongest portrayal for far right party from World War II, showed projections.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz admitted defeat for his social democrats in the center after what he called “bitter elections.” Projections for public television ARD and ZDF have shown their party in third place with the worst post-war results of national parliamentary elections.

Merz said he hoped to put the coalicity government with the Easter. But that is likely to be challenging.

The elections took place seven months earlier than was originally planned after Scholz’s unpopular coalition crashed in NovemberThree years in an expression that was increasingly interfered with an indebtedness. Was widespread dissatisfaction and not much enthusiasm for any of Candidates.

The campaign was dominated by concerns about long-standing stagnation The largest European economy and pressure to control migration – something that caused friction because of Merz hard pushed Last weeks for harder access. Took place on the background growing insecurities over The future of Ukraine and the European Union with the United States.

Germany is the most populated country in the European Union from 27 Nations and the leading member of NATO. It was Ukrainian second largest weapon supplier, after us will be central to form a continent’s response to the challenges in the coming years, including Trump Administration Confrontational external and trade policy.

Projections, based on exit surveys and partial counts, set support for the MERZ Union of the block about 28.5%, and an alternative against immigration for Germany or AFD, about 20.5% – approximately 2021. Years.

They set up Support to Scholz’s Social Democrats at only over 16%, far lower than in the last selection and below the last post-war of 20.5% since 2017. years, their remaining partners in the outgoing government were about 12 years%.

Of the three smaller parties, one – hard left fun – strengthened its position, winning up to 9% of the vote after an extraordinary return. Property free democrats, which were the third party in the crashed government, looked likely to lose places in parliament with about 4.5%. Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance or BSW, it hovered about 5% of the threshold required to win the seat.

Whether Merz would have a majority to form a coalition with Scholz’s social democrats or is needed by another partner, which would realistically have to be desired, they will depend on whether BSW enters parliament. The conservative leader said that “the most important thing to be re-establishing a sustainable government in Germany as fast as possible.”

“I’m aware of the responsibility,” Merz said. “I am also aware of the proportion of the task that now lies in front of us. I approach him with the greatest respect, and I know it won’t be easy.”

“The world is not waiting for us and is not waiting for long-term coalition talks and negotiations,” he said the fan supporters.

A candidate for the greenery for Chancellor, Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, said Merz would do good to modify his tone after a hard campaign.

“We saw that the center was weakening, and everyone should watch themselves and ask if they didn’t contribute to it,” Habeck said. “He must now see it acts like chancellers.”

Green were the parties that suffered at least participation in the Scholz unpopular government. The Secretary-General of the Social Democrates, Matthias Miersch suggested that their defeat was not a surprise – “This choice was not lost in the last eight weeks.”

Afd co-leader Tino Chupalla said cheering supporters to “scored something historically today.”

“We are now a political center and we left the edges behind us,” he said. The strongest previous presentation of the Party in 2017 was 12.6% in 2017. year, when it first entered the National Parliament.

The candidate of the party for the Chancellor, Alice Waridel, said that “opened for negotiations on the coalition” with Merzo Party, and that no policy changes in Germany. Merz turned off repeatedly to work with AFD as well as others Main parties – And he did it again in a television post-election exchange with Weide and other leaders.

He was leaving that AFD would not have to speed up, he would not have to ensure the theoretical coalition, claiming that the Union has greatly copied their program and explicit “Piror’s victory”.

“He won’t be able to implement him with the left parties,” she said. If MERZ completes the formation of the Association with Social Democrats and greenery, “there will be an unstable government that does not last for four years, there will be a temporary chancellor Friedrich Merz and we cover the Union in the coming years.”

Merz rejected the idea that voters wanted a coalition with AFD. “We have basically different views, for example of foreign policy, on security policy, in many other areas, in connection with Europe, euro, NATO,” he said.

“You want the opposite of what we want, so there will be no cooperation,” Merz added.

Scholz succeeded in the success of AFD. He said “that must never be something we’ll accept. I won’t accept it and I’ll never.”

More than 59 million people in a nation of 84 million were eligible to choose 630 members of the lower domestic domestic home, BundestagWho will sit under the glass dome of building a Berlin Reichstag building.

___

Journalists with the corresponding newspapers Kirsten Grieshaber, Vanessa Gera and Stefanie Dazio in Berlin contributed.