Conservative Party Triumphs in German Elections, AfD Emerges as Strong Contender

Friedrich Merz, the head of Germany's conservative opposition, secured a significant win in the national elections this past Sunday, while the right-wing party Alternative for Germany (AfD) saw its support grow substantially, according to reports from the Associated Press.

The center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) declared victory as exit polls and initial results indicated that the party garnered the highest percentage of votes in the country's election. The election, held earlier than anticipated, followed the collapse of the Social Democratic coalition led by Olaf Scholz, who conceded defeat after what he termed a "bitter electoral result."

Merz's conservative alliance captured approximately 29% of the vote, though, as reported by Reuters, it faces challenges in forming a government without the Social Democrats (SPD) led by Scholz. Despite this, Merz expressed optimism about forming a coalition government by Easter. "I'm fully aware of the responsibility," Merz stated. "I also understand the scale of the task ahead. I approach it with utmost respect, knowing it won't be easy."

The AfD, on the other hand, received 20.7% of the votes, nearly twice its 2021 result. This outcome has positioned the party as the second-largest political force in Germany just twelve years after its founding. In eastern Germany, the AfD has even become the most dominant political entity.

Alice Weidel, the AfD's lead candidate, emphasized their willingness to form a coalition with the center-right bloc of the Christian Democratic Union and the Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU). However, Merz dismissed the notion that voters desired a coalition with the far-right party. "We have fundamentally different views, for instance, in foreign policy, security policy, and many other areas concerning Europe, the euro, and NATO," he asserted.

Friedrich Merz, leader of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has long been at the forefront of the polls, securing 30% of the vote, and has been recognized as the primary competitor to Olaf Scholz of the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD).

Merz's victory in this weekend's election marks a significant comeback, as he only returned to the Bundestag in 2021 after a 12-year hiatus from politics. At 69 years old, he will be the oldest chancellor since Konrad Adenauer, the inaugural chancellor of the new Federal Republic of Germany, who took office in 1949 at the age of 73.