Key Outcomes
- CDU/CSU Victory: The conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), have emerged as the largest bloc, securing approximately 28.5-29% of the vote123.
- AfD Surge: The far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) has made substantial gains, nearly doubling its support to 19.5-20%, marking the strongest showing for a far-right party since World War II13.
- SPD Decline: Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) has suffered a significant setback, falling to third place with around 16-16.5% of the vote, their worst postwar result in a national parliamentary election23.
Projected Seat Distribution
Based on exit polls, the projected seat distribution in the Bundestag is as follows:
Reactions and Implications
- CDU Leadership: Friedrich Merz, the CDU/CSU candidate, has claimed victory and stated his intention to form a governing coalition quickly3.
- AfD Position: Despite their strong performance, the AfD remains politically isolated, with mainstream parties refusing to cooperate with them6.
- SPD Concession: The Social Democrats’ general secretary has acknowledged a “historic defeat” for the party3.
- Coalition Prospects: Forming a government may take weeks or months. The most likely coalition is expected to be between the CDU and SPD, although a CDU-Green partnership is also possible if they secure enough seats5.
Key Issues
The election was primarily focused on:
- Economic concerns
- Immigration and integration
- Energy supply and climate change5
This election, held seven months earlier than planned due to the collapse of Scholz’s coalition, reflects growing discontent over economic stagnation, migration concerns, and Germany’s role in Europe6.
German election concluded with significant shifts in the political landscape
Citations:
- https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/2/23/german-election-results-live-cdu-afd-expect-to-make-gains-as-count-begins
- https://www.dw.com/en/german-election-exit-polls-conservatives-emerge-as-largest-party/a-71721544
- https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/germanys-merz-claims-victory-for-his-conservatives-as-exit-polls-show-strong-far-right-gains
- https://www.cnbc.com/2025/02/23/german-2025-federal-election-results.html
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/1551611/german-election-results/
- https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/germany-election-social-democrats-leader-calls-election-results-a-historic-defeat/articleshow/118509993.cms
- https://www.reuters.com/graphics/GERMANY-ELECTION/RESULTS/movaynkgova/
- https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/02/22/germanys-olaf-scholz-friedrich-merz-hold-rallies-in-final-days-ahead-of-federal-election
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_German_federal_election
- https://apnews.com/article/germany-election-merz-scholz-far-right-afd-ebf16ed38e0beaff7fed9a6d29b32a24
- https://www.firstpost.com/world/german-snap-federal-election-2025-live-updates-olaf-scholz-alice-weidel-friedrich-merz-robert-habeck-cdu-spd-afd-13865825.html
- https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/germany-election-polls-results-intl/index.html
- https://www.politico.eu/article/german-election-results-2025-who-won-map-cdu-afd-spd/
- https://www.rfi.fr/en/international-news/20250223-conservatives-win-german-vote-as-far-right-makes-record-gains
- https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/2/19/far-right-set-to-make-strides-in-a-german-election-dominated-by-immigration
- https://apnews.com/live/germany-election-updates-parliament
- https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2025-german-voting-system/
- https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250223-conservatives-win-german-vote-as-far-right-makes-record-gains
- https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/02/23/germany-braces-for-pivotal-elections-as-parties-wrap-up-campaigns
- https://www.robert-schuman.eu/en/monitor/6461-alternative-for-germany-could-make-a-major-breakthrough-in-the-federal-elections-on-february-23-in-which-christian-democratic-union-remains-the-favourite
