German election: Friedrich Merz urges 'independence' from US

Here are the latest projections of German election results, updated in real time.

 

 

AfD co-chairman Tino Chrupalla hailed his party's election result in comments to DW, noting that it had become the second-largest force in parliament.

He argued that the result showed that German voters were against a consensus among parties against cooperating with the AfD, known as the "firewall."

In the run-up to the general election, Germany's ambassador to the United Kingdom, Miguel Berger, said he had not received a mail-in ballot and called for a reform of German bureaucracy.

"No [election] documents arrived at my place in London!" he said in a post on the platform X.

"In the [Bundestag election], many Germans living abroad will not be able to exercise their right to vote," he added.

Berger said that the deadlines were made to be too strict and criticized what he described as procedures that were "too bureaucratic."

"Reform is urgently needed," he concluded.

No, Green Party leader Felix Banaszak doesn't have time for an interview in front of the DW camera right now.

But then he stops briefly and speaks with DW — he doesn't want to give a grade for his party's election result: "We have been in a very difficult government, the most unpopular this country has ever had. We worked our way out of the slump after the summer, but not as far as we wanted."

"But in the end, it is a sign that many people in this country want politics in which climate protection plays a role, with which Germany remains an open country and in which there is justice," he said.

The Greens are projected to net 11.7% of the vote, down three points from 2021's election, after which they entered into coalition as a junior partner alongside outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz's SPD and the pro-business FDP.

The coalition government suffered from regular public squabbles and ultimately fell apart in November after Scholz dismissed former Finance Minister Christian Lindner of the FDP.

Like many here at the Greens' election party, the 35-year-old party leader, who has only been at the helm since last November, feels that it is unlikely the Greens will be needed to form a government under Friedrich Merz of the CDU, who is the most probable candidate to become Germany's next chancellor.

But Banaszak does not want to give up hope: "If there is a constellation in which the Greens are needed, then we will enter the negotiations with confidence."

Banaszak's conclusion of the short election campaign is rather sobering: "The election campaign was somewhat detached from reality in parts. Germany and Europe find themselves in a completely new situation." In other words, not being able to govern now hurts.

Banaszak argued that the CDU bringing a motion on migration through the Bundestag with the help of votes from the far-right AfD probably also ultimately scared off some potential Green voters.

"Many people who could imagine voting for the Greens apparently found the idea that Friedrich Merz would become chancellor quite terrible," he said.

CDU leader Friedrich Merz is set to become Germany's next chancellor based on projected results of Germany's general election.

DW takes a closer look at Merz's political career, including a 12-year hiatus in the business world.

French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated Friedrich Merz on the election result, stressing his determination to work for a "strong, sovereign Europe."

"In this period of uncertainty, we are united to face the great challenges of the world and our continent," Macron said.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer also congratulated Merz.

"I look forward to working with the new government to deepen our already strong relationship, enhance our joint security and deliver growth for both our countries," he said.

At the Greens' election night party in Berlin-Kreuzberg, almost everyone was glued to the post-election panels on TV, watching a defeated Chancellor Olaf Scholz from the SPD and his likely successor, CDU leader Friedrich Merz.

The latest projections were running across the screen below, and it is still unclear whether the the pro-business FDP and the left-wing populist BSW will make it into the Bundestag.

Whether or not the two parties secure representation in parliament could determine what coalition options are available to the CDU, including whether the Greens might still be needed as a governing party.

The leader of the Greens in the Bundestag, Britta Haßelmann, told DW that the Greens are now more of a governing party than an opposition party:

"We must be able to be ready for dialogue, to be capable of forming alliances," she said. "But we must first wait and see what this means. That makes this election evening different from many others we have experienced."

Haßelmann said she believed that the issue of migration was the overriding one in the election campaign and that she fet the CDU relying on votes from the AfD to pass a motion in the Bundestag last month changed everything.

"That breached a taboo, as made clear by the many thousands of people who took to the streets in protest. They were worried about freedom and the rule of law," she told DW, arguing that the move diminished trust in political parties.

At a Left Party event on the night of the Bundestag election, senior politician Gregor Gysi took to the stage amid deafening applause.

Barring a short hiatus, the 77-year-old has been in parliament since 1990. He is the longest-serving lawmaker in the Bundestag, having been a member of the German parliament for over 30 years running.

That means as the "Father of the House," he will make the opening speech when the new parliament meets for the first time. Gysi alone will get to decide the contents of that speech — and that’s something we can look forward to, as the Berlin-native has a reputation as one of the best orators in parliament.

The Left Party had hoped to use the popularity of Gysi and two other lawmakers to win enough direct votes from constituencies to enter the Bundestag without having to pass the 5% minimum threshold to secure representation. The party later surged in support in the run-up to the election and ultimately won some 8.5% of the vote, according to projections.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has congratulated the CDU's Friedrich Merz on the election victory, describing it as "a clear voice from the voters."

Zelenskyy, whose country marks this week the third anniversary of Russia's invasion, said he looked 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 success[es] will bring even greater unity to Europe," he added.

Merz has expressed support for providing Ukraine with long requested longer-range Taurus missiles, a step Scholz's government avoided.

Germany's Greens are set to drop in their share of the vote by 3%, according to projections.

Greens politician Robert Habeck acknowledged the decrease in support, saying the party had hoped for a better result.

Habeck has served as vice chancellor and economy minister under outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz of the Social Democrats (SPD).

Mario Voigt, who serves as the premier of the eastern state of Thuringia and belongs to the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), welcomed his party's Sunday victory.

"Germans have voted for change and this is a good sign," Voigt said in an interview for DW.

"We feel that basically Germany has to turn around and take a different coalition," he said.

Voigt described the increase in support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which nearly doubled its share of the vote to 20.7%, according to projected results, as "troubling."

The AfD is particularly strong in eastern German states such as Thuringia.

"I've always warned about what's going on in the East — eastern Germans feel the economic downturn much harder than in the West because they don't have such deep pockets and this is what we've seen," Voigt said.

"They want to see their real-time issues addressed and not ideological policies driven by the federal government. And this is what they have voted for," he argued.

Voigt governs Thuringia in coalition with the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the left-wing populist Sarah Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW).

In Thuringia's state election in September, the AfD came out as the largest force in parliament, but could not form government due to a lack of willing coalition partners.

CDU leader Friedrich Merz has also ruled out forming a coalition with the AfD at the federal level.

Christian Lindner, leader of the Free Democrats (FDP) and Germany's former federal finance minister, announced on Sunday evening that he would retire from politics if his party fails to clear the 5% hurdle to get into the German Bundestag, which projections so far suggest is the case.

Lindner, whose clashes with Chancellor Olaf Scholz provoked his firing and the collapse of the three-coalition government last year, said he was thankful for having served in the party and the government for nearly 25 years.

"Federal elections handed a loss to the FDP, but hopefully a new start for Germany. That's what I fought for. Now I am retiring from active politics." wrote Lindner on the social media platform X.

NATO secretary-general Mark Rutte congratulated CDU leader Friedrich Merz on his election win.

"Congrats to [Friedrich Merz] on today’s election victory in [Germany]," Rutte said.

"Looking forward to working with you in this crucial moment for our shared security," he said. "It’s vital that Europe step up on defense spending and your leadership will be key."

In a post-election panel aired on state broadcaster ARD, Merz called for Europe to achieve "independence" from the United States due to statements made by US President Donald Trump. He called for NATO and Europe to shore up defenses.

US President Donald Trump on Sunday said that a victory by conservatives was a good thing for Germany and the world.

Writing on his Truth social platform, Trump said, "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." 

"This is a great day for Germany, and for the United States of America under the leadership of a gentleman named Donald J. Trump," he continued, adding, "Congratulations to all — many more victories to follow!!!"

Trump's top donor and advisor, Elon Musk, repeatedly made efforts to benefit the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, giving ample air time to its leader Alice Weidel on X, as well as repeatedly claiming "only the AfD can save Germany."

Alice Weidel, leader of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) which is projected to have come a comfortable second with around 20% of the vote, sad the AfD is prepared to enter a coalition government.

But given that the CDU and other major parties have ruled out working with the AfD, a host at a post-election panel asked Weidel lf a vote for her party was a waste.

"No, not at all," replies Weidel. "The vote is clear: the German people want political change, they want a black and blue [CDU-AfD] coalition. If they want to rule that out, fair enough. But then it's a pyrrhic victory for the CDU and not a result which exudes confidence and trust."

Weidel claims that the CDU have effectively adopted most of the AfD's manifesto and says: "They're going to have to explain to their voters how they're going to implement those promises while working with left-wing parties. If they form a government with the SPD and Greens, then interim chancellor Merz won't last four years."

Conservative Merz denied any similarities between the CDU and AfD, insisting that the parties have "fundamental differences" on foreign policy, security, NATO, Europe and the Euro as a currency.

"You can stretch out your hand all you want, Frau Weidel," he says. "But I won't sacrifice 50 years of CDU legacy to appease a so-called alternative for Germany which wants the opposite of everything we want."