'We have won the election': Germany's conservative leaders celebrate as far-right projected to take second place
Alternative for Germany (AfD) is now on course to win 20.5% of the vote, according to latest projections - but there is no way Friedrich Merz will work with it because of a long-standing political taboo against working with the far right, known as a Brandmauer - a firewall.
Exit polls in Germany's 2025 election give Merz's conservatives lead and put far right on strongest postwar showing
Exit polls show the center-right Christian Democratic Union party leading, with the AfD party heading towards the strongest showing of the far-right since World War II.
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Exit polls show Merz in the lead while AfD makes historic gains in Germany election
Outgoing German chancellor Olaf Scholz conceded the election and decried the historic gains of the far-right conservative party, AfD. Early exit polls show AfD is headed for second place, while opposition leader Friedrich Merz’s conservatives are in the lead and Scholz’s party fell to third.
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Conservatives head for German election victory as far-right AfD set for second place, exit polls say
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, leader of the Social Democrats (SPD), says the election results are "bitter" for his party, calling it a "defeat". As a reminder, the exit polls showed the SPD coming in third, with 16-16.5% of the vote.
German conservatives win election but far-right AfD surges, exit polls show
Germany's conservatives won the national election on Sunday, while the far-right Alternative for Germany came in second, its best ever result.
Germany’s far-right AfD still faces limits, despite election success
The success of the Alternative for Germany, or AfD, is a sign of the times. Across Europe, far-right parties once on the fringe have gone mainstream.
Conservatives projected to win German election
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, leader of the SPD, said the election results were "bitter" for his party and a "defeat". Speaking to supporters in Berlin, Scholz said "we have to acknowledge we have lost the election".
Germany's conservatives win election but hard coalition talks loom
Germany's conservatives won the national election on Sunday but a fractured vote handed the far-right Alternative for Germany its best ever result in second place and left conservative leader Friedrich Merz facing messy coalition talks.
Conservatives heading to victory in German election; far right surges
The Christian Democratic Union has won a plurality in the Bundestag, preliminary exit polls suggested Sunday, while the far-right AfD has come in second.
Conservatives are poised to win the German election, with Musk-backed AfD in second
Germany's center-right alliance appears set to win the country's latest federal election, which comes at a critical moment for Europe's largest economy. The latest exit polls show the Christian Democratic Union and its Bavarian sister party,
Elon Musk’s star power fails to help far-right AfD win German election
In spite of the Tesla CEO's best efforts, the AfD performed no better than had been expected when snap elections were called.
International reaction to German election
Germany's opposition conservatives won a national election on Sunday, putting leader Friedrich Merz on track to be the next ...
Merz claims win for German conservatives as far right surges to strongest postwar election result
Germany’s center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is set to return to power with the far-right Alternative for Germany ...
Merz leads in Germany’s election while AfD makes historic gains | AP Explains
Germany has voted — and the exit polls show opposition leader Friedrich Merz and his Conservative Party on course for a ...
Germany's election in graphics
Germany's election on Sunday delivered a win to the conservative opposition as well as a historic surge in support for the ...
Conservatives head for German election victory but far-right AfD set for second place, exit polls say
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is poised to become the second biggest political force, ahead of Olaf Scholz's ...
Live Updates: Germany Votes in High-Stakes Election
Voting will soon close in national elections. Polls show the hard-right AfD party is likely to have its best showing ever.
First-time voter casts ballot in German election, shares fears and hopes for the future
First-time voter Gesa Schönwolff shared her fears and hopes for the future as she cast her ballot in Berlin on Sunday.