How Trump’s campaigning worked and who will be Germany’s new Chancellor

Following Germany’s parliamentary elections, a shift in power is underway. The country’s next leader, and, as many hope, the leader of a united Europe, will be Friedrich Merz, a staunch Euro-Atlanticist and the head of the conservative CDU/CSU alliance.

At the same time, these elections will be remembered for the remarkable success of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). This pro-Russian, far-right extremist party, which was endorsed by Elon Musk, not only secured second place with a record-breaking result but also doubled its 2021 election performance.

AfD is now Germany’s main opposition force and will do everything possible to take power in four years during the next elections.

Read more about the key winners and losers of Germany’s parliamentary elections and what to expect next in the article by Khrystyna Bondarieva, a European Pravda journalist – The Chancellor of all Europe: how Germany chose Trump's main opponent.

With 28.5% of the vote, the CDU/CSU alliance claimed victory.

The win was, however, not as decisive as conservatives had hoped, as they aimed for a result of at least 30%.

Meanwhile, the headquarters of their main rivals, AfD, was in a celebratory mood.

"We have never been stronger," said AfD’s chancellor candidate Alice Weidel.

With backing from controversial US billionaire Elon Musk and unprecedented foreign interference, AfD secured second place with a record 20.8%.

The party dominated all five eastern German states – former Soviet satellite territories.

Although AfD’s voter base is concentrated in the east, the fact remains that nearly one in five Germans cast their vote for a party considered one of the most extreme even among Europe’s far-right movements.

Of course, not all AfD voters are extremists. The party’s surge is largely a sign of growing dissatisfaction with the status quo and the policies of traditional parties.

Another major winner was The Left Party, which had been written off last year, with many doubting it would even make it into the Bundestag. Not only did it comfortably surpass the electoral threshold with 8.8%, but it nearly doubled its 2021 result.

The Left owes much of its success to… Friedrich Merz. The party capitalised on strong anti-right sentiments, mobilising voters and dealing a heavy blow to the Social Democrats and the Greens.

As expected, election night was particularly bitter for the parties of Chancellor Scholz’s "traffic light coalition" – the Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens and the Free Democrats (FDP).

It was also a disappointment for Sahra Wagenknecht, Germany’s most prominent "friend of Putin."

The new Bundestag must convene by 25 March, no later than 30 days after the election.

The collapse of the FDP and Wagenknecht’s party means Merz needs only one coalition partner instead of two. The most likely candidate is the Social Democratic Party, as a CDU/CSU-Green coalition is mathematically impossible.

However, forming a coalition with the SPD will not be easy.

On election night, Merz made it clear that his top priority would be strengthening Europe as soon as possible. He warned that NATO could soon become obsolete, making it necessary to consider a European alternative. Germany’s next government could take an even stronger stance in supporting Ukraine.