The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is celebrating its best-ever election result, securing 20.8% of the vote and cementing its position as the second-strongest party in the country.
However, despite the record-breaking performance, there was a sense of missed opportunity at AfD headquarters, as party leaders had anticipated an even stronger showing.
AfD’s candidate for chancellor, Alice Weidel, told supporters that “Germans have voted for change,” emphasising that the election results reflect growing dissatisfaction with the mainstream parties. The party performed exceptionally well in eastern Germany, where it secured an estimated 34% of the vote, according to public broadcaster ZDF.
Weidel predicted that CDU leader Friedrich Merz would struggle to form a coalition and that fresh elections might come sooner than expected. “I don’t think we’ll have to wait another four years,” she said.
While AfD surged, Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) emerged as the overall winner, claiming 28.6% of the vote. The result, while a clear victory, was below the 30% target Merz had aimed for.
Addressing jubilant supporters, Merz struck a cautious tone. “Let’s celebrate tonight, and in the morning, we’ll get to work,” he said, acknowledging the difficult coalition talks ahead.
The CDU had hoped for a strong mandate to form a coalition with a single partner, but the fractured election results complicate this goal. The Social Democrats (SPD), led by outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz, suffered their worst-ever defeat with just 16.4% of the vote. Scholz admitted the result was a “bitter” blow and ruled out joining a new government.
The CDU’s other potential partner, the Greens, finished lower than expected, and relations between the two parties remain strained. Just before the election, Merz mocked Green leader Robert Habeck as merely a “representative for heat pumps,” underscoring policy tensions between them.
AfD’s success was bolstered by a combination of factors, including strong social media outreach, particularly on TikTok, which helped attract young voters. The party also received public endorsements from controversial figures like US billionaire Elon Musk and Vice President JD Vance, raising concerns about foreign influence.
While AfD benefited from these endorsements, they also sparked backlash. Merz and other mainstream politicians expressed alarm at what they saw as outside interference in Germany’s democratic process.
US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, welcomed Merz’s victory, calling it proof that Germans were, like Americans, rejecting “the no common sense agenda, especially on energy and immigration.” However, Merz distanced himself from Trump, emphasizing that his priority would be to strengthen Europe’s independence from the US.
