German Chancellor Olaf Scholz conceded defeat on Sunday, congratulating conservative leader Friedrich Merz as his Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) alliance secured victory in a snap election. Exit polls published by ZDF indicate the CDU/CSU leads with 28.6% of the vote, while Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD) suffered a historic collapse, garnering just 16.5%—their worst result since World War II.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!“This is a bitter election result for the Social Democratic Party. It is also an electoral defeat,” Scholz admitted in his post-election address, as quoted by Reuters, before acknowledging Merz’s win.
Merz, pledging swift action to form a government, declared, “Tonight, we celebrate, and from tomorrow, we start working… The world out there is not waiting for us.”
The right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) also posted a historic showing, finishing second with 20.4%—its best national result to date. AfD co-leader Alice Weidel called the outcome “historic” and signaled openness to coalition negotiations, arguing that without AfD, “no real policy change will be possible in Germany.”
Scholz’s coalition government had already unraveled in November after the Free Democrats (FDP) withdrew. The Greens polled at 12.3%, while the FDP barely cleared the 4.7% threshold required for parliamentary representation.
Analysts suggest that a “grand coalition” between the CDU/CSU and SPD remains a possible path forward, mirroring past power-sharing agreements under former Chancellor Angela Merkel. However, Merz previously ruled out governing alongside Scholz, leaving uncertainty about coalition-building efforts.
The election marked a notable shift in Germany’s political landscape, with migration policy emerging as a dominant issue. Under Merz’s leadership, the CDU/CSU has moved further to the right, departing from Merkel’s centrist approach.
In an unusual intervention, U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and tech billionaire Elon Musk made headlines during the campaign. Vance met with Weidel last week to discuss Germany’s policies, the Ukraine conflict, and free speech concerns. Musk, a vocal critic of Scholz, endorsed Weidel for chancellor and even addressed an AfD campaign event in Halle in late January, amplifying his support for the party.
