Germany is shifting right after almost one third of voters backed a return to power of the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in a snap federal election.
Early projections on Sunday evening placed the CDU and its Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) allies first on 29 per cent and likely to form a grand coalition with the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD).
Germany’s outgoing coalition party scored 16 per cent, a historic low, bringing down the curtain on the chancellorship of Olaf Scholz after three years and three months.
Sunday’s biggest winner was the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). It almost doubled its support to capture 19 per cent, according to early projections. This would make it the largest opposition party in the new Bundestag parliament, as no other party is willing to work with them.
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A long election night looms in Berlin, with the fate of two smaller parties deciding which of four possible Bundestag permutations emerges. Even without a clear picture of how many parties he will need for a majority, Friedrich Merz promised quick action in Berlin.
“The world out there is not waiting for long-winded coalition talks,” he said to jubilant supporters at party headquarters. Though his party was up five points on 2021, Sunday’s result was the second worst in its history.
Over at the SPD’s base, chastened chancellor Scholz described as bitter its nine point slide in support.
“The result was bad and I have responsibility for this result too,” he said. “That an extreme-right party like the AfD gets such a result is something we cannot accept, I certainly won’t.”
Even before the final results, due early on Monday morning, AfD lead candidate Alice Weidel said her Bundestag party had doubled in size with over 140 MPs, up from 85.
“We can do lot with that,” said Weidel, adding her hand was “outstretched” to govern with the CDU.
Even after polls closed on Sunday evening, the election rollercoaster continued for two smaller parties.
The liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP), whose departure from power last November prompted the early election, was just below the five per cent parliamentary hurdle in early results on 4.9 per cent.
Though half its previous size in the Bundestag, it could yet clear the hurdle in the final result and may be required as kingmaker for a parliamentary majority.
“It’ll be a long night but we’re ready ... and a German coalition is possible,” said Wolfgang Kubicki, a leading FDP politician, referring to the black-red-gold of the German flag – and the party colours of CDU, SPD and FDP.
A final winner of the evening was the hard left Linke, which bounced back from the brink of political oblivion to secure eight per cent, up nearly four points despite mass defections last year.
Less happy was the Linke’s breakaway left-conservative alliance of Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW). According early projections, it has failed to enter parliament after polling just 4.8 per cent.
“If it’s not enough for us, then it is a defeat,” said Wagenknecht to supporters, “but it’s not the end of the BSW, we won’t do the others that favour.”
Germany’s Green lead candidate Robert Habeck, praised his party for emerging relatively unscathed from the traffic light Coalition, down two points to 13 per cent. He his party was “ready for talks but the mandate for Government is with Friedrich Merz”.
