'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.
Conservatives are poised to win the German election, with Musk-backed AfD in second
The vote comes at a pivotal time for Europe, which faces an increasingly assertive Trump administration.
The Latest: Merz wins Germany's election while AfD makes historic gains
German voters cast their ballots in Sunday’s election, with opposition leader Friedrich Merz claiming victory and Chancellor Olaf Scholz conceding defeat. Alternative for Germany, or AfD, is heading for the strongest showing for a far-right party since World War II.
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 chancellor while the far-right Alternative for Germany came in second on its best-ever result,
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 as second-largest party, exit polls show, after snap elections dominated by concerns over immigration,
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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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.
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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.
German conservatives win election but far-right AfD surges, exit polls show
Germany's opposition conservatives won the national election on Sunday, putting leader Friedrich Merz on track to be the next chancellor while the far-right Alternative for Germany came in second, its best ever result, projections showed.
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".
Conservatives celebrate German election win as the far right sees historic success
German opposition leader Friedrich Merz’s conservatives have won a lackluster victory in a national election Sunday, projections show.
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.
Exclusive: Alice Weidel on Her Far-Right AfD Party’s Rise, Elon Musk’s Support, and the German Election
The tweet from Elon Musk arrived a few days before Christmas, and it felt like a gift from heaven to Germany’s far-right ...
Immigration and an ailing economy dominate Germany’s election as far-right eye gains
The world’s third largest economy goes to the polls Sunday under the shadow of unusually brusque interventions from the Trump ...
Discontented Germany votes in an election with economy, migration and far-right strength in focus
The center-right opposition is favored to win, while polls point to the strongest result for a far-right party since World ...
Alert: German far-right AfD leader Alice Weidel pledges to overtake conservative bloc, vows to win first place in next election
German far-right AfD leader Alice Weidel pledges to overtake conservative bloc, vows to win first place in next election. Got a question? Put a reporter on it. Ever think of a question that you wish ...
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 far-right AfD party. Here is a breakdown in graphics showing trends between ...