In the federal parliamentary elections exit poll conducted on the 23rd (local time) in Germany, the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU) coalition emerged in first place with a vote share of 29.0%. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) followed in second place with 19.5%. The vote share for the current ruling center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz fell to 16%, placing them in third. According to the exit poll results released by German public broadcaster ARD at 6 p.m. that day, the fourth place was occupied by the Green Party (13.5%), fifth by the Left Party (8.5%), and sixth by the Free Democratic Party (4.9%).
According to CNN, Friedrich Merz (70), leader of the CDU, declared the election victory to supporters gathered at the party headquarters in Berlin, saying, "Let's start the party." If the exit poll results hold, the CDU will secure a vote share of 28.8%, and Merz will become Germany's new chancellor.
Alice Weidel (46), co-leader of the AfD, which is in second place, stated, "We received double the votes compared to the last election," calling it a "historic result." CNN noted, "This means that a party once suspected of extremism has become a major political force."
However, the SPD, which fell to third place, is expected to face a crushing defeat. Considering that the SPD's vote share was 25.7% in the 2021 elections, it shows a dramatic shift in the German political landscape in four years. Chancellor Olaf Scholz of the SPD said, "We must acknowledge this bitter defeat."
The CDU-CSU coalition is expected to begin forming a coalition government as soon as the seat allocation is confirmed. If successful in coalition formation, Friedrich Merz, the CDU leader, is likely to assume the chancellorship. If a coalition is formed under CDU-CSU leadership, it will mark the return of a conservative government more than three years after former Chancellor Angela Merkel, of the CDU, stepped down in December 2021.