Germans voted for a change of leadership on Sunday, with historically reliable exit polls from a parliamentary election showing centrist conservatives in the lead and the far right in second. The results amounted to a rebuke of the nation’s left-leaning government for its handling of the economy and immigration.
That almost certainly means the country’s next chancellor will be Friedrich Merz, the leader of the Christian Democrats. But he will need at least one or two coalition partners to govern.
“We have won it,” Mr. Merz told supporters in Berlin on Sunday evening, promising to swiftly form a majority to govern the country and restore strong German leadership in Europe. “The outside world is not waiting for us,” he added. “And it is also not waiting for lengthy coalition talks and negotiations.”
The election, which was held seven months ahead of schedule after the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-party coalition, will now become an essential part of the European response to President Trump’s new world order. It drew what appeared to be the highest turnout in decades.
Mr. Merz has promised to crack down on migrants and slash taxes and business regulations in a bid to kick-start economic growth. He also vowed to bring stronger leadership in Europe at a moment when the new Trump administration has sowed anxiety on the continent by scrambling traditional alliances and embracing Russia.
Exit polls showed his Christian Democrats and their sister party, the Christian Social Union, winning a combined 29 percent of the vote. The far-right Alternative for Germany, known as the AfD, appeared to be in second place.
On Sunday evening, suspense ran high about the coalition that Mr. Merz might be able to assemble. Smaller parties could play a key role. Like other German party leaders, Mr. Merz has promised never to partner with the AfD, parts of which are classified as extremist by German intelligence.
Here’s what we are following:
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Immigration policy: A series of deadly attacks over the past year committed by immigrants, including asylum seekers, put the issue of immigration front and center in the run-up to the election. But the assaults did not appear to have affected the outcome of Sunday’s elections.
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U.S. interference: The AfD gained support by promising to deport some immigrants and seal borders, which won the endorsement of the Trump adviser Elon Musk and a form of encouragement from Vice President JD Vance. While the U.S. meddling in the campaign put off some left-leaning voters on Sunday, it was welcomed by others supporting the AfD, according to interviews at polling stations. Mr. Merz on Sunday slammed what he called the “interference from Washington” in the election by Mr. Musk and Vice President Vance, saying in a televised debate that it was no worse than interference from Moscow.
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Economic crisis: Germany’s economy has not grown in five years and is suffering from an industrial competitiveness crisis. Forecasts show an economy rapidly sliding backward, stunning declines that have emerged as one of the biggest issues in the parliamentary election.
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Elevating the AfD: The AfD, with its anti-immigrant and nationalist platform, has long been a pariah of German politics. A new band of influencers unafraid of confrontation had helped push the Alternative for Germany party to second place in pre-election polls.
