The Conservatives won the German elections and will negotiate with the SPD. What the media say
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- The Conservatives won the German elections and will negotiate with the SPD. What the media say
Following the results of the extraordinary parliamentary elections in Germany, the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) led by Friedrich Merz has won. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AdG) came second, doubling its previous result. The Social Democratic Party (SPD) of outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz came in third. CDU/CSU and SPD will be able to form a government coalition after negotiations. What the world media write about the election results - in the Izvestia digest.
The New York Times: German elections were held with the largest turnout in decades
Sunday's elections, which took place several months ahead of schedule, brought several surprises and caused a lot of tension. The center-right Christian Democrats will be able to lead Germany with one coalition partner, returning the country to the more robust two-party form of government it has had for most of this century.
The New York Times
Germany's largest voter turnout in decades gave a majority of votes to the Christian Democrats and their sister party, the Christian Social Union. That almost certainly means that Friedrich Merz, a businessman who flies his own private jet and has long coveted the top job, will be the next chancellor.
The far-right AdG party has doubled its share of the vote in four years, largely by appealing to voters unhappy with immigration. It came in first place in the former East Germany, ahead of Merz's party. That said, many analysts had expected a stronger result after a string of migrant-related tragedies and support from billionaire Ilon Musk.
Reuters: Merz faces tough coalition formation talks
Merz, Germany's likely next chancellor, will begin trying to form a coalition government after far-right and far-left parties won the support of disaffected voters. Merz, who has no experience in public office, is set to take charge of a country where Europe's largest economy is struggling.
Reuters
The 69-year-old politician will face lengthy coalition talks after the far-right AdG party took a historic second place in a fractured vote following the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's unpopular tripartite alliance.
Merz will have to negotiate with Scholz's center-left SPD to form a coalition. Negotiations that are likely to take months after a grueling campaign that has highlighted political differences. However, Merz will not have to rely on the support of the Greens to win a full parliamentary majority.
Financial Times: Merz has promised Germany independence from the US
Friedrich Merz promised to quickly unite Europe and "achieve independence" from the US after the CDU/CSU won the federal election. Hours after polls closed, he said Germany must fundamentally change its security arrangements and abandon its longstanding dependence on Washington.
Financial Times
"I am in close contact with many prime ministers - heads of government of EU countries," Merz said. - And strengthening Europe as soon as possible must be an absolute priority so that step by step we actually achieve independence from the US."
Merz added that he believes U.S. President Donald Trump is indifferent to the fate of Europe. He said he would seek to form a government as soon as possible, given the enormous challenges facing Germany and Europe.
Politico: a month before the election, Merz made a fateful decision on migration
After the tragedy in Aschaffenburg, when a native of Afghanistan attacked with a knife and killed a two-year-old boy and a man, Merz reacted emotionally. He decided on a radical course of action that transformed the final weeks of the campaign and led to his electoral victory. That decision completely changed the course of the campaign.
Politico
The attack in Aschaffenburg lit the fuse for Mertz. He had long believed that his CDU should take a tougher stance on migration. But the shocking nature of the attack, combined with growing support for the AdH, convinced him that it was now or never. "I don't care who goes down this path politically," he told reporters the day after the attack, hinting at the criticism he knew would follow the adoption of his populist rival's rhetoric.
A month before the election, Merz told associates that he would push through tough migration proposals in parliament and warned that he would be unstoppable, even if it meant relying on votes from the far right. It was a gamble that showed Merz's strength in the face of tragedy, but could alienate many voters and shore up support for the AdG.
ARD: AdG did not experience post-election euphoria
The AdG nearly doubled its result compared to the 2021 federal election. However, the party had hoped for a better result than second place with just over 20%. AdG leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Hrupalla know they have no chance of coming to power and will have to spend another legislative term in opposition.
ARD
When asked what compromises she is willing to make, Weidel replies that no compromises are needed because the CDU has copied the AdG's election program. The AdG leadership sees no need for change. It hopes that it will be able to exert such pressure that the "firewall" (the unspoken refusal of parties to cooperate with the AdG. - Ed.) will collapse.
Behind closed doors there is criticism of Weidel. Some of her appearances on television, in which she answered citizens' questions in a rude and instructive manner, were not always helpful. The AdG had hoped to win at least a quarter of the seats in the Bundestag in order to set up its own investigative committees, but failed to do so.
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