Merz set to become Germany's new chancellor as far-right achieves historic result – exit polls

Exit polls from Germany's snap parliamentary elections indicate that the centre-right Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) have won the most seats, securing 29% of the vote. Source: European Pravda, citing ARD projection by Infratest dimap, reported by Tagesschau Details: The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has nearly doubled its 2021 vote share, polling at 19.5%, a record in federal elections.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democratic Party (SPD) finished third with 16%, a new historic low for the party.

The Greens, Scholz's coalition partner, received 13.5%. The Left Party, which was not expected to clear the electoral threshold, is predicted to receive 8.5% of the vote. The Free Democratic Party (FDP) is polling at 4.9%, which could keep it out of the Bundestag, along with the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, with 4.7%.

Voter turnout is reported to be 84%, the highest since 1990. A new chancellor will not be elected by the Bundestag until a governing coalition is established, which may take several months. If these forecasts are accurate, the CDU/CSU's Friedrich Merz is expected to be the leading contender for chancellor.

Scholz's outgoing cabinet will remain in place until the Bundestag elects a new chancellor. The election campaign has been overshadowed by unprecedented US meddling, including statements from Vice President JD Vance and American billionaire Elon Musk. It also took place amid a series of migrant-related attacks and heated debate about how to combat illegal migration.

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