Germany’s political mood turned greener as exit polls showed centre-right Christian Democrats (CDU) well ahead, but the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) leapt into second place.
The CDU, with leader Friedrich Merz, landed on 28.7% of the vote and are therefore best placed to enter coalition negotiations. But the biggest surprise was from the AfD, which secured 19.8%, a significant shift in Germany’s post-war politics. The ruling Social Democratic Party (SPD), led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, suffered a disastrous defeat, gaining as little as 16%. Scholz referred to the result as ‘bitter’, but he urged Germans not to turn to far-right ideologies.
Afy’s surge has become a controversial one and come from who one might least expect, from Facebook and Google postings that include U.S. figures like Elon Musk, figures from former President Donald Trump’s circle and beyond. Trump himself expressed his satisfaction about the election result, he described it as a “great day for Germany.” Protesters in Berlin held demonstrations calling a state of “democratic emergency” where they rang out alarm alerts. Police had to intervene as the atmosphere escalated outside AfD’s victory party. 
As coalition talks are held, the CDU will be upset to have to form a government not working with the AfD. The polls reveal a deeply divided German society, as the country struggles with economic problems, immigration and its past. The next several weeks will determine the course of the nation as negotiations take place.
