Provisional results confirm that mainstream conservatives led by Friedrich Merz won Germany's national election, while a far-right party surged to become the nation’s second-largest

Germany's conservatives won the national election on Sunday, while the far-right Alternative for Germany came in second, its best ever result.

AfD set for strongest result ever while incumbent chancellor’s SPD on track for worst-ever outcome in fourth snap election in country’s history

Merz declared victory on Sunday afternoon after his Christian Democratic Union party was projected to win approximately 30% of the vote.

Europe must seek to “achieve independence” from the United States, Germany’s likely next chancellor Friedrich Merz said after his opposition conservatives won elections on Sunday, in a vote that also saw surging support for the far-right.

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) congratulated Germany's conservatives on their victory. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) took to messaging service X to congratulate the leader of the right-wing conservative CDU. Friedrich Merz 's conservatives won Germany's election on Sunday.

Friedrich Merz's conservative party is the winner of the German general election, while current Chancellor Olaf Scholz's party experienced its worst result since the late 19th century.

The leader of the conservative Christian Democrats celebrated as exit polls indicated they had won Sunday’s election, which had the highest voter turnout in decades.