The Latest: Opposition leader Merz’s headed to form Germany’s next government

Wolfgang Merkel, a political analyst from the WBZ Berlin Social Science Center, says there will high pressure on Friedrich

Merz as Germany’s next chancellor to help solve some of Europe’s most urgent problems.

It will be a tough job. Merz will be expected to help find a united European response to issues such as security and defense, especially when it comes to Russia’s aggressive stance.

The analyst says that the “interests are so different within the European Union, including the political majorities, that we shouldn’t expect a resounding common EU policy.”

More likely, he thinks, “it will be the usual game of muddling through. They will muddle through, somehow. But we shouldn’t expect to hear one voice out of Brussels.”

From political party events to pubs, Germans across the country Sunday reacted to the national election results and Merz’s win.

Merz’s first comments on Monday, the day after his party became the highest vote-getter in national elections in Germany were words of support for Ukraine, which is marking the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

“Europe stands unwaveringly by Ukraine’s side,” Merz posted on X. “Now more than ever, it holds true: We must put Ukraine in a position of strength.”

“For a just peace, the attacked country must be part of peace negotiations,” Merz added, in an apparent rebuke of the Trump administration, which has begun talks with Russia on ending the war that have so far cut out Ukraine and Europe.

Wolfgang Merkel, an analyst from the WBZ Berlin Social Science Center, rejects the notion that efforts by some in the Trump administration to muddle in the German election campaign were successful.

Merkel told The Associated Press that one of the most important reasons for the U.S. administration’s lack of influence is that “JD Vance and (Elon) Musk are not particularly popular. (Donald) Trump is not popular in Germany either.”

He suggests that their efforts may even have been “counterproductive.”

As for the AfD, “they are currently being elected either way — regardless of whether there are any illegitimate election helpers from America.”

The Christian Democratic Union of election winner Friedrich Merz is a center-right party in Germany.

It’s the leading power in the conservative bloc known as the Union, which also includes the Bavaria-only Christian Social Union and has a single group in the German parliament.

The CDU has provided five of Germany’s nine postwar chancellors so far — most recently Angela Merkel.

But Merz has moved it in a more conservative direction, particularly on migration. The CDU is fiscally conservative, priding itself on keeping down debt, and relatively socially conservative by the standards of German politics.

It also advocates a strong European Union and support for Ukraine.

Alice Weidel says she missed a congratulatory call from tech billionaire Elon Musk after the German election late Sunday. Her party, the Alternative for Germany, finished in second place.

Weidel told reporters in Berlin that “this morning, when I turned my phone on or looked at it, I had received missed calls in the night from the USA, including from Elon Musk, who congratulated me personally.”

Musk, a Trump ally, has waded several times into German politics during the election campaign and openly supported Weidel’s far-right party.

Outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Friedrich Merz, who won the election, have sharply criticized Musk’s efforts to influence the election in Germany.

Stocks in major German companies rose after the election on hopes for a stable coalition government that could end policy gridlock and tackle the country’s economic problems.

The DAX share index, which includes Mercedes-Benz Group, engineering firm Siemens AG and business software firm SAP, rose 0.74% to 22,452.04 in morning trading.

A two-party coalition between the conservative CDU/CSU and the center left Social Democrats “will likely be seen as positive by Germany’s corporate sector,” said analysts at Deutsche Bank.

The outgoing three-party coalition was at odds over how to fix the stagnating economy. Gains were tempered by the fact that parties of the far left and far right gained enough seats to block constitutional change.

Alternative for Germany has achieved the strongest showing by a far-right party since World World II, becoming the second strongest force in the national parliament and the most popular party in eastern Germany.

Yet the country’s mainstream parties still refuse to work with it. The principle is known as a “firewall” against extreme right forces after the trauma of the Nazi era.

Merz has ruled out a coalition with the AfD and Olaf Scholz, whose Social Democrats party might be necessary as a junior party in the next government, said on Sunday he hopes that all political parties continue their traditional refusal to work with the far right.

“No cooperation with the extreme right,” Scholz said.

Still, a growing number of Germans feel the other parties have failed to manage the large-scale immigration to Germany of the past decade.

Alice Weidel, the leader of anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany which finished second in Sunday’s election, lauded efforts by the Trump administration to cut hundreds of thousands of federal workers jobs.

The cost-cutting crusade is led by the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.

Weidel on Monday said that “Americans are going in exactly the right direction” and that that her party would do the same in Germany if they were in power.

“What we have here is a political apparatus of civil servants that is highly inefficient and that actually manages itself at the taxpayer’s expense,” she said.

The office of Israel’s prime minister says Friedrich Merz will invite Benjamin Netanyahu to visit Germany despite an arrest warrant from the U.N.’s top war-crimes court.

The two spoke by phone on Sunday night as Netanyahu congratulated Merz on his victory, the prime minister’s office said.

Merz’s party confirmed the phone call with Netanyahu but said it doesn’t comment on the contents of such conversations.

The ICC issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Netanyahu, his former defense minister and Hamas’ military chief, who was later confirmed killed in Gaza, accusing them of crimes against humanity in connection with the war in Gaza.

By DAVID KEYTON

The Associated Press’ David Keyton explains the election results from the AP’s bureau in Berlin’s government district.

Germany’s next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, says his top priority is to unify Europe in the face of challenges coming from the United States and Russia.

Both Vice President JD Vance and President Donald Trump ally Elon Musk have openly supported the far-right AfD.

“I have no illusions at all about what is happening from America,” Merz told supporters. “Take a look at the recent interventions in the German election campaign by Mr. Elon Musk.”

“We are under such massive pressure,” Merz added. “My absolute priority now is really to create unity in Europe.”

By FANNY BRODERSEN

The four candidates for chancellor thanked their supporters in speeches at party events in Berlin on Sunday night.

“Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has congratulated Germany’s far-right AfD of its historic gains in Sunday’s election.

“The people of Germany voted for change in immense numbers,” Orbán wrote on X. “I want to congratulate @Alice_Weidel on doubling @AfD’s share of the votes. Good luck and God bless Germany!”

AfD on Sunday won 152 seats in the 630-seat Bundestag, making it the second-largest party in parliament. AfD entered the Bundestag for the first time in 2017.

The leader of one of Germany’s biggest immigrant groups has criticized the far-right AfD’s second-place finish in Germany’s election.

Aslıhan Yeşilkaya-Yurtbay of the Turkish Community in Germany group says the AfD doesn’t need to be part of the coalition government or hold a ministry post “to determine the discourse and drive this country against the wall.”

About 25% of Germans have immigrant roots and people of Turkish descent are the biggest group.

Yeşilkaya-Yurtbay added that “people with a migrant roots are frightened and are thinking about leaving Germany.”

Estonia Prime Minister Kristen Michal says Merz’s victory is key to a stronger and united Europe.

“It is crucial to strengthen our support for Ukraine,” Michal wrote on X.

Also, European Council President Antonio Costa has congratulated Merz, saying he looks “forward to working closely with him to make Europe stronger, more prosperous and more autonomous.”

“These might be challenging times. But I know that, just like in the past, the European Union will deliver and come out stronger,” Costa wrote on X.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has wished Friedrich Merz “success and prosperity” in leading Germany as its next chancellor.

“We look forward to further strengthening the strong partnership between Lithuania and Germany, advancing our friendship, security, and economy,” Nausėda wrote on X.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the results “a clear voice from the voters” and stressed the importance of the election to Europe.

“We look forward to continuing our joint work with Germany to protect lives, bring real peace closer to Ukraine, and strengthen Europe,” he wrote on X.

“Europe must be able to defend itself, develop its industries, and achieve the necessary results. Europe needs shared successes, and those success will bring even greater unity to Europe,” he said.

Monday marked the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion into Ukraine.

French President Emmanuel Macron says he spoke to both Friedrich Merz and Olaf Scholz following the election results: Merz to congratulate him, and Scholz to express his friendship to him.

“We are more determined than ever to achieve great things together for France and Germany and to work towards a strong and sovereign Europe,” Macron wrote on X.

“In this time of uncertainty, we stand united to face the great challenges of the world and our continent,” he said.

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has congratulated Merz, now on course to become Germany’s next chancellor.

“I look forward to working with the new government to deepen our already strong relationship, enhance our joint security and deliver growth for both our countries,” Starmer wrote on the social media platform X.

The top job has been late in coming for 69-year-old Friedrich Merz, a lawyer by profession, who saw his ascent derailed by former Chancellor Angela Merkel in the early 2000s and even turned his back on active politics for several years.

Merkel has described Merz as a brilliant speaker and complimented his desire for leadership, though she acknowledged this was a problem in their relationship.

“We are almost the same age … We grew up completely differently, which was more of an opportunity than an obstacle,” she wrote in her memoir “Freedom.”

“But there was one problem, right from the start: We both wanted to be the boss,” she said.

Germany’s opposition leader Friedrich Merz claimed victory says he’s ready for the job of chancellor after winning in Sunday’s election.

“I am aware of the responsibility,” Merz said on Sunday evening. “I am also aware of the scale of the task that now lies ahead of us. I approach it with the utmost respect, and I know that it will not be easy.”

“The world out there isn’t waiting for us, and it isn’t waiting for long-drawn-out coalition talks and negotiations,” he told cheering supporters.

Provisional results confirmed that mainstream conservatives led by Friedrich Merz won Germany’s national election, while a far-right party surged to become the nation’s second-largest.

The results released by the electoral authority showed Merz’s Christian Democrats and the center-left Social Democrats winning a combined majority of seats in the national legislature after small parties failed to make the electoral threshold.

That gives Merz the best chance of becoming the country’s next chancellor. He said on election night that he hopes to form a government by Easter at the latest.

▶ Read more about how the CDU won.

Our live updates are pausing for the evening. Thanks for following along.

Our coverage will resume Monday morning when we expect to receive final results.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte congratulated Merz on his victory.

“Looking forward to working with you in this crucial moment for our shared security,” Rutte wrote on X.

“It’s vital that Europe step up on defense spending and your leadership will be key.”

Revelers watch the exit polls come in while sitting at a pub in Berlin.

AfD member Mary Khan praised AfD’s gains in the election in its relative youth. The party entered the Bundestag for the first time in 2017.

Bjoern Hoecke, AfD leader in Thuringia, celebrated the far-right party’s historic gains. Hoecke, one of the best-known figures in the party, was fined by a court last year for knowingly using a Nazi slogan in a speech.

Austria’s far-right leader Herbert Kickl has congratulated AfD for coming in second in Germany’s election.

Kickl’s own anti-immigration Freedom Party won Austria’s parliamentary election in September, but his efforts to form a coalition government with a conservative party collapsed earlier this month.

Kickl said in a statement that the rise of the far-right across Europe and in the U.S. showed “that those political forces that work against the interests and well-being of their own people are being voted out of office.”

He added that: “The patriotic turnaround is in full swing and it cannot be stopped, but only delayed, because it is based on honest love for the homeland, for one’s own people, for freedom and for the truth.”

President Donald Trump has called the election result “a great day for Germany” in a Truth Social post.

Trump didn’t name a party in his post.

“Looks like the conservative party in Germany has won the very big and highly anticipated election,” he wrote.

The Union bloc is the conservative party, and won the election. However, Trump ally Elon Musk endorsed AfD before the election, and Vice President JD Vance met with AfD co-leader Alice Weidel on the sidelines of a recent conference in Germany.

“Much like the USA, the people of Germany got tired of the no common sense agenda, especially on energy and immigration, that has prevailed for so many years,” Trump wrote in a post that was entirely in capital letters.

Less than three hours after the polling stations close, the leaders of the political parties will come together for a live panel on public television, which is called the “elephant round table” — or “Elefantenrunde” in German.

The panel, which traditionally takes place at 8:15 p.m. local time after every national election, originated in post-war times. The term was coined to express the “weightiness” of the participants’ physical sizes and political power, as well as emphasize the importance of the discussion.

AP photo editors have chosen a collection of images from the election’s aftermath, as well as pictures from Sunday’s voting.

Feodora Luedemann, a 19-year-old Christian Democratic supporter from Berlin, said the party is “incredibly happy” with the win.

“So it’s a clear government mandate for Friedrich Merz,” Luedemann said.

Volker Resing, a biographer of Friedrich Merz, said he believes that the German conservative can form a governing coalition with the Christian Democrats and the Social Democrats.

“And that will be important for Europe and also for international relations, because Germany needs a stable government quickly,” Resing said. “With Friedrich Merz, it could just about be enough for Germany to become a new anchor of stability in Europe.

“Friedrich Merz is more internationally positioned than perhaps any chancellor before him. And that could be an important signal for Europe.”

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on X:

“A decisive victory for our political family, for Germany, and for Europe. Congratulations @_FriedrichMerz! One thing is clear: you will be Germany’s next chancellor.”

The Greens’ candidate for chancellor, Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, said that Merz would do well to moderate his tone after a sometimes hard-fought election campaign.

“We have seen the center is weakened overall, and everyone should look at themselves and ask whether they didn’t contribute to that,” Habeck said. “Now he must see that he acts like a chancellor.”

The Greens were the party that suffered least from participating in outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government.

Because the other parties say they won’t work with Alternative for Germany, the far-right party appears destined to be in the opposition despite its second-place finish.

“We will hunt down the others so that they make sensible policies for our country,” AfD leader Alice Weidel said of the party’s opposition tactics.

Supporters of the Social Democrats party expressed their displeasure at the party’s expected third-place result during Sunday’s watch party in Berlin.

The center-left party was on track for its worst postwar result in a national parliamentary election.

The president of Germany’s leading Jewish organization, Josef Schuster, has expressed his shock at the increase in votes for the far-right, anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany party.

The head of the Central Council of Jews, told daily newspaper Die Welt: “It must concern us all that a fifth of German voters are giving their vote to a party that is at least partly right-wing extremist, that openly seeks linguistic and ideological links to right-wing radicalism and neo-Nazism, that plays on people’s fears and only offers them ostensible solutions.”

Paul Schilling, a 22-year-old supporter of the Social Democrats, said he was “shaken” by the party’s third-place finish and AfD’s successes.

“It is our country that is facing a right-wing extremist abyss,” he said. “It is our fellow citizens who have to experience a climate of incitement and racism, where we put little or nothing against it. It’s bad.”

In an election glitch, ballot papers with candidates from Berlin were issued at a polling station in the southwestern city of Trier.

German news agency dpa reports that the error was first noticed by a voter in a polling station at 11 a.m. local time. After that, all ballot papers were carefully checked and no more incorrect ballot papers were issued.

By VANESSA GERA, GEIR MOULSON

Alternative for Germany leader Alice Weidel says the party is “open for coalition negotiations” with the Union bloc following the party’s historic gains.

Friedrich Merz, who exit polls show leads in the election, has repeatedly ruled out working with AfD, as have other parties.