{"id":245537,"date":"2025-02-24T12:27:09","date_gmt":"2025-02-24T12:27:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/24\/conservatives-win-german-election-as-far-right-afd-makes-historic-gains-and-olaf-scholzs-spd-collapses\/"},"modified":"2025-02-24T12:27:09","modified_gmt":"2025-02-24T12:27:09","slug":"conservatives-win-german-election-as-far-right-afd-makes-historic-gains-and-olaf-scholzs-spd-collapses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/24\/conservatives-win-german-election-as-far-right-afd-makes-historic-gains-and-olaf-scholzs-spd-collapses\/","title":{"rendered":"Conservatives win German election – as far-right AfD makes historic gains and Olaf Scholz’s SPD collapses"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Conservatives<\/div>


\n<\/p>\n

\n

Germany’s conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) and their Bavarian sister party the Christian Social Union (CSU) have won the country’s federal elections – as the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) scores its best-ever result and Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s party collapses.<\/p>\n

The leader of the CDU\/CSU bloc, Friedrich Merz, who will most likely become Germany’s<\/strong><\/a> next chancellor, said he would work on forming a government as soon as possible, though it is not yet clear how easy that will be.<\/p>\n

Speaking on Sunday evening, Mr Merz said: “We have nearly eight weeks until Easter now, and I think that should be enough time – the maximum time – to form a government in Germany.”<\/p>\n

As it happened: Conservatives and far-right set for record vote shares<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Preliminary results of the official election count show the CDU\/CSU took the largest share of the vote with 28.5%, while the AfD won a record 20.8% – its best result in a federal election since its formation in 2013.<\/p>\n

Mr Scholz’s<\/strong><\/a> Social Democratic Party (SPD) collapsed to third with 16.4% – its worst post-war election result – while its previous coalition partners the Greens took 11.6%.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

In some surprise results, the hard-left Left Party surged clear of 5% – the minimum vote share needed to get seats in the Bundestag – while the newly-founded left-wing Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) fell just short.<\/p>\n

The Free Democratic Party (FDP), a former coalition partner and liberal party, also saw its vote collapse to 4.4%, taking them out of parliament.<\/p>\n

Despite the AfD’s result, Mr Merz’s bloc and the rest of the mainstream parties have ruled out working with the far-right<\/strong><\/a> as part of a long-running pact known as the “firewall”.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n


\n 0:38<\/span>
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Chancellor concedes election defeat<\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

‘The world out there is not waiting’<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mr Merz faces complex coalition negotiations and whether he will need one or two partners to form a pact will depend on how many parties get into parliament.<\/p>\n

The 69-year-old admitted it would “not be easy”, adding: “The most important thing is to re-establish a viable government in Germany as quickly as possible… The world out there is not waiting for us.”<\/p>\n

Read more:
Merkel’s long-time rival on track to become chancellor<\/a>
The woman at the top of Germany’s far-right AfD party<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player<\/p>\n


\n \"CDU
\n
\n 4:09<\/span>
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Conservative bloc set to form Germany’s new government<\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Later on Sunday, while appearing on a German broadcaster’s post-election panel of party leaders, Mr Merz took aim at Donald Trump<\/strong><\/a> and said the US president’s administration has shown itself to be “largely indifferent to the fate of Europe”.<\/p>\n

He called the comments made by American officials during negotiations on ending Russia’s war on Ukraine<\/strong><\/a> “ultimately outrageous” – and said: “My absolute priority will be to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that, step by step, we can really achieve independence from the USA.”<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n \"Pic:\n <\/div>
\n Image:<\/span>
\n The CDU\/CSU won 28.5% of the vote, with Friedrich Merz likely to be Germany’s next chancellor Pic: AP
\n <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

After exit polls on Sunday evening showed the CDU\/CSU bloc in the lead, the US president said it was a “great day” for Germany.<\/p>\n

He wrote on Truth Social that the “people of Germany got tired of the no common sense agenda, especially on energy and immigration”.<\/p>\n

‘We have arrived’<\/strong><\/p>\n

Alice Weidel, the AfD’s co-leader and chancellor nominee, hailed her party’s results and said “our hand remains outstretched to form a government” – despite the “firewall” pact.<\/p>\n

Read more:
Alice Weidel: The woman at the top of Germany’s far-right AfD party<\/a><\/strong>
Trump hails ‘great day for Germany’<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player<\/p>\n


\n \"Leader
\n
\n 10:39<\/span>
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\n

AfD has best showing in German election
\n<\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

“We have arrived as a party of the people,” she told a crowd, before saying that without the AfD in coalition, “no change of policy is possible in Germany”.<\/p>\n

Co-leader Tino Chrupalla added the party “achieved something historic today”, and said: “We are now the political centre and we have left the fringes behind us.”<\/p>\n

On Sunday evening, anti-fascist demonstrations broke out in Frankfurt and Berlin in protest at the far-right party’s performance.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n \"Pic:\n <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n \"Protests\n <\/div>
\n Image:<\/span>
\n Protests broke out after the exit poll showed the AfD was set to be the second-largest party in Germany. Pics: AP
\n <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n \"Anti-fascist\n <\/div>
\n Image:<\/span>
\n Anti-fascist protests also broke out in Berlin
\n <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

‘Very bitter’ election for SPD<\/strong><\/p>\n

Conceding the election, Mr Scholz told voters that “the result is very bitter for the SPD”.<\/p>\n

While still chancellor until the government votes on his replacement, he added he will not represent the party “in a federal government led by the CDU, nor will I negotiate for it”.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n \"Pic:\n <\/div>
\n Image:<\/span>
\n Olaf Scholz’s SPD party collapsed to the third largest party – with 20.8% of the vote. Pic: AP
\n <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Meanwhile Christian Lindner – FDP party leader and former finance minister, whose dismissal by Mr Scholz led to the collapse of the coalition government<\/strong><\/a> – also resigned after a bruising night.<\/p>\n

Posting on social media after it became clear his party would not meet the 5% vote threshold, he said: “The parliamentary elections brought defeat for the FDP but hopefully a new start for Germany. That’s what I fought for.<\/p>\n

“Now I’m retiring from active politics. I have only one feeling: gratitude for almost 25 intense, challenging years full of productive work and debate.”<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n \"Christian\n <\/div>
\n Image:<\/span>
\n Christian Lindner’s dismissal as finance minister led to the collapse of the SPD\/FDP\/Greens coalition. Pic: AP
\n <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

BSW narrowly out as Left surges<\/strong><\/p>\n

Founded in January last year, the BSW came just short of entering parliament with 4.9% of the vote.<\/p>\n

But despite doubts the party could rally before the election, the Left Party made a comeback and surged to 8.8%.<\/p>\n

Party candidate Heidi Reichinnek told German national broadcaster ARD: “I am so incredibly happy about our result.”<\/p>\n

Read more from Sky News:<\/strong>
West Bank ‘turning into mini-Gaza’<\/a>
Body found in search for missing jogger<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

And while the Greens still lost votes after its stint in the coalition, it recorded the smallest losses of the three parties – making Sunday’s vote “mixed” for the party’s chancellor, Robert Habeck.<\/p>\n

He also said the vote showed “the centre is weakened overall, and everyone should look at themselves and ask whether they didn’t contribute to that”.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n


\n
Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Germany’s conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) and their Bavarian sister party the Christian Social Union (CSU) have won the country’s federal elections – as the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) scores its best-ever result and Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s party collapses. The leader of the CDU\/CSU bloc, Friedrich Merz, who will most likely become Germany’s next chancellor, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":245538,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/e3.365dm.com\/25\/02\/768x432\/skynews-olaf-scholz_6838059.jpg?20250223202013","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[50111,6151,15575,50,724,5484,10563,4737,98975,123440,190605,1460],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245537"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=245537"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245537\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":245539,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245537\/revisions\/245539"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/245538"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=245537"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=245537"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=245537"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}