Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz has slammed US interference in the German elections, calling it 'as drastic, dramatic and shameful as that from Moscow' as the AfD surges into second place.
Merz, who is set to be the next German Chancellor after his conservative CDU took 28.5 per cent of the vote, last night criticised election interference by the US after tech billionaire Elon Musk and the Trump administration voiced support for the AfD.
He also called for independence from the US, telling a roundtable discussion that he plans to 'strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that we can achieve real independence from the US step by step'.
Meanwhile, the AfD have taken 20.8 per cent of ballots cast which is the strongest showing for a far-right party in Germany's post war era.
The AfD celebrated the result, with their leader Alice Weidel claiming that the anti-migrant party was now 'firmly anchored' in mainstream German politics.
US President Donald Trump has called the election result 'a great day for Germany' in a Truth Social post. He didn't name a party in his post.
'Looks like the conservative party in Germany has won the very big and highly anticipated election,' he wrote.
However, Trump ally Elon Musk endorsed AfD before the election, and US Vice President JD Vance met with AfD co-leader Alice Weidel on the sidelines of a recent conference in Germany.
'Much like the USA, the people of Germany got tired of the no common sense agenda, especially on energy and immigration, that has prevailed for so many years,' Trump wrote in a post that was entirely in capital letters.
Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz has slammed US interference in the German elections, calling it 'as drastic, dramatic and shameful as that from Moscow'
Alice Weidel, co-leader of the Alternative for Germany party (AfD), gestures as SpaceX CEO Elon Musk appears on screen during a central election campaign event of the AfD in Halle (Saale), Germany, January 25, 2025
US President Donald Trump has called the election result 'a great day for Germany' in a Truth Social post. He didn't name a party in his post
US Vice President JD Vance met with AfD co-leader Alice Weidel on the sidelines of a recent conference in Germany
The AfD's result was hailed by Hungary's Viktor Orban, who wrote on X: 'The people of Germany voted for change in immense numbers. I want to congratulate Alice Weidel on doubling AfD's share of the votes. Good luck and God bless Germany!'
The governing centre-left SPD has slumped to third place in a disastrous result for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's party.
The party described the result as a 'historic defeat' which saw the SPD's vote share drop to its lowest since the 19th century with 16.4 per cent.
Following a campaign rocked by a series of violent attacks, and frequent interventions from President Trump's administration, the CDU and its Bavarian sister party CSU will return to government after four years in opposition.
Their leader Merz is now on track to be the next chancellor and has vowed to move quickly to try to form a coalition, adding he aims to have a government in place by Easter.
But time is pressing for Europe's ailing largest economy, with society split over migration and its security caught between a confrontational US and an assertive Russia and China.
The most likely outcome of the election is a coalition of the conservative bloc and the SPD, who came in third, after the AfD surged to a historic second place.
Merz's conservatives won 208 seats in the 630-seat Bundestag, while the AfD won 152.
The three parties in the former governing coalition lost seats, with the center-left Social Democrats falling to 120 seats and the Greens to 85. The Left party got 64 seats.
Those coalition negotiations are certain to be even harder after a campaign which exposed sharp divisions over migration and the prospect of a much larger collection of AfD MPs in the bundestag.
The result suggests a remarkable surge for the AfD which has jumped from fifth place in 2021 to second place rising its share of the vote by ten points.
The leader of the AfD, Alice Weidel, waves a German flag at the party's headquarters. The party have taken 20 per cent which is the strongest showing for a far-right party in Germany's post war era
Current Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Meanwhile, the governing centre-left SPD has slumped to third place in what looks set to be a disastrous result for Scholz's party
However, the party is unlikely to be in government due to the 'firewall' in German politics where moderate parties refuse to work with any hard right parties since the Second World War.
Despite this, Weidel has already said last night that she is open to discussing a role in government with the CDU.
'We extend our hand to offer cooperation with the CDU. Otherwise change won't be possible in Germany,' she said.
The most expected outcome of this election is a coalition of Merz's CDU with the SPD in an uneasy 'grand coalition.'
Another option is the 'Kenya coalition' - named for the colours on the Kenyan flag, which could see the Greens join the government.
'From our point of view, (talks) can start very, very quickly,' said senior conservative CDU politician Jens Spahn about starting coalition talks.
'The first talks should certainly be held this week, in the next few days. We see the situation in the world, Ukraine, Russia, the United States,' he said. 'German leadership is needed.'
Merz, 69, has promised to provide greater leadership than Chancellor Olaf Scholz and to liaise more with key allies, restoring Germany to the heart of Europe.
A brash economic liberal who has shifted the CDU to the right, he is considered the antithesis of former conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel, who led Germany for 16 years.
Germany's politicians will now look to the tricky task of forming a coalition government which can often take weeks if not months.
'For the mainstream parties, there are two likely coalition scenarios: a so-called Grand Coalition between CDU/CSU and SPD, the social democratic party that had led the previous failing government,' Dr Katrin Schreiter, senior lecturer in German and History at king's College London, told MailOnline.
'While they agree in principle on the question of defence and military build-up, their approaches differ greatly when it comes to resolving Germany's economic difficulties versus social justice, and the financing of the increased military spending the country has been facing since the beginning of the war in Ukraine.
'This picture would only become more complicated were the Green party to join them in a coalition government, as its position on climate change complicate the country's budget problems even further.'
Merz celebrates with Bavarian state premier and leader of the Christian Social Union. Merz, 69, has promised to provide greater leadership than Chancellor Olaf Scholz and to liaise more with key allies, restoring Germany to the heart of Europe
Alternative for Germany (AfD) party co-chairwoman and top candidate for the federal election Alice Weidel (C) leaves following an AfD party press conference in Berlin, Germany, 24 February 2025
Meanwhile, world leaders have congratulated Merz and the CDU on the election victory.
French president Emmanuel Macron said: 'I just spoke with Friedrich Merz to congratulate him on his victory in the German elections. I also had an exchange with Olaf Scholz to tell him of my friendship this evening.
'We are more determined than ever to do great things together for France and for Germany and to work towards a strong and sovereign Europe. In this period of uncertainty, we are united to face the great challenges of the world and our continent.'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Germany's conservative leader Friedrich Merz on his party's 'clear election victory' and expressed hope of visiting him despite an arrest warrant, his office said Monday.
'Prime Minister Netanyahu had a warm conversation last night with Friedrich Merz and congratulated him on his win,' his office said a statement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also congratulated Merz's victory, writing on X: 'A clear voice from the voters, and we see how important this is for Europe.
'We look forward to continuing our joint work with Germany to protect lives, bring real peace closer to Ukraine, and strengthen Europe.
'Europe must be able to defend itself, develop its industries, and achieve the necessary results. Europe needs shared successes, and those successes will bring even greater unity to Europe.'
'We look forward to successful cooperation for a safe, stronger and united Europe. It is crucial to strengthen our support for Ukraine,' Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal said.
Newly-elected Irish Prime MInister Micheal Martin added: 'Congratulations Friedrich Merz on the CDU/CSU's strong performance in the German election. I look forward to working closely with you on the EU Council, and on the challenges and opportunities for Europe in the years ahead.'
Weidel and AfD party members react to the exit poll. The result suggests a remarkable surge for the AfD which has jumped from fifth place in 2021 to second place rising its share of the vote by ten points
Supporters of Die Linke celebrate the exit poll result. The party appears to have seen a late surge to 8.5 per cent
Meanwhile, some believe the AfD's strong showing on Sunday could pave the way for a win in 2029.
AfD deputy parliamentary leader Beatrix von Storch told The Mail: 'So many people have voted here for us and expressed their political will, so it is outrageous that they are not able to have their view represented here, but it is of course quite clear that it is only a question time before other parties will change their position of keeping us out.'
'I can't see the next coalition government lasting longer than two years, and after this we will then do very well because are just fed up of not being listened to and we are the only party who are responding to the fears and the anger of the German people right now concerned mass illegal migration.'
Federal spokesperson Stephan Brandner added: 'Back then we were called everything: nationalist, racist, you name it.
'But the truth is we are responding to the public. If you want a serious response to the massive problems in our county then it's only us really offering it, and that's why we will win outright at some point.'
AfD leader Alice Weidel today said she was aiming for her AfD to become the strongest party in the country.
Weidel, who led the AfD as its candidate to be chancellor in the election campaign, said she believed the party could 'overtake the CDU within the next few years for the next election... to become the strongest force' in Germany.
The anti-immigration AfD remains a pariah for many German voters amid guilt over the country's Nazi past and has been labelled as right-wing extremist in some chapters of the party by German security services.
However, the party enjoyed a surge of support in the run-up to the election, partly due to vocal endorsement from senior figures in the administration of US President Donald Trump.
'We are a people's party,' Weidel said on Monday. She also highlighted the fact that the AfD had done 'very well' among young voters, hailing this as an 'indicator that we are the party of the future'.
Coalition talks could leave Scholz (pictured waving to supporters last night) in a caretaker role for months, delaying urgently needed policies to revive Europe's largest economy after two consecutive years of contraction and as companies struggle against global rivals
German Economy and Climate Minister and top candidate for the Greens party Robert Habeck reacts after exit poll results are announced
Among Germany's smaller parties Sunday was a bruising night, as the left-wing Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) came in just under the 5 per cent hurdle.
The pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) party, which triggered early elections by pulling out of the coalition during a dispute over the budget, also failed to reach the 5 per cent of the vote required to win seats.
The FDP party's leader Christian Lindner - who previously served as Scholz's finance minister - has already hinted he could resign if his party failed to get into the parliament.
Elsewhere, the far-left Die Linke - which was formed by former communists from East Germany - saw a late surge to 8.8 per cent seeing off a challenge to the party from the newly formed economically left-wing, socially conservative BSW.
Coalition talks could leave Scholz in a caretaker role for months, delaying urgently needed policies to revive Europe's largest economy after two consecutive years of contraction and as companies struggle against global rivals.
It would also create a leadership vacuum in the heart of Europe even as it deals with a host of challenges including US President Donald Trump threatening a trade war and attempting to fast-track a ceasefire deal for Ukraine without European involvement.
Germany, which has an export-oriented economy and long relied on the United States for its security, is particularly vulnerable.
Since the last election in 2021 the once mighty German economy, which steered the EU through the Euro crisis, has stagnated since the start of the Ukraine war with Scholz's government struggling to revitalise it.
Germans are now more pessimistic about their living standards than at any time since the financial crisis in 2008.
On top of this, the country is dealing with creaking infrastructure due to lack of investment in public services such as trains - which are now the most delayed in the whole of Europe.
Attitudes towards migration have also hardened, a profound shift in German public sentiment since its 'Refugees Welcome' culture during Europe's migrant crisis in 2015.
The election result has also revealed dramatic shifts in how different age groups vote with young people appearing to rush to the extreme ends of the political spectrum.
Die Linke came first among 18- to 24-year-olds with the AfD in second. Meanwhile, the AfD came top among 25- to 35-year-olds and the CDU is first among older voters.
