German election: Conservatives projected to win
The conservative CDU/CSU party is expected to be the next German federal parliament or federal government, with 28.5% of the vote.
Conservative leader Friedrich Merz, now in Germany’s next prime minister, praised a “excellent campaign” and said there was no time to waste forming the government.
Germany’s (AFD) far-right alternative is expected to be the country’s second largest party, with a record 20.5%.
After the tripartite coalition collapsed late last year, it voted in Germany for the new federal government, prompting a swift election.
CDU/CSU is a center-right Christian democratic and conservative political alliance between two German political parties – the German Christian Democratic Union and the Christian Social Alliance in Bavaria.
Merz has led the CDU/CSU parliamentary group since 2022 and cheered as he stepped on the stage at the CDU headquarters in Berlin after Sunday’s exit poll results.
CSU Markus Söder joined him, thanking the voters for their trust and proclaiming: “We have won the government election.”
Soder said it was a “historic election night” for the party and the CDU and CSU “made great preparations for this election”.
Meles added that he was “aware of the responsibilities he faces now.”
Although CDU/CSU will be the largest party in the next German parliament, the AFD is expected to rank second with about 20.5% of the vote.
The party’s co-chairman Alice Weidel claims it was a “historic result” for the party as it scored more than nine points in the 2021 general election.
“We have gained the confidence of voters, and that should be something that others should accept,” said her co-chair Tino Chrupalla.
Export polls show that the Social Democrats (SPD) ranked third with 16.5% of the vote.
SPD leader German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the election results were “painful” for his party and “failure”.
Speaking to supporters in Berlin, Scholz said: “We must admit that we have lost the election.”
He congratulated Meiers on his expected victory.
The exit poll is based on anonymous and voluntary surveys conducted at 560 (80,000) polling stations.
They tend to be relatively accurate, but official results are expected earlier Monday.
