BERLIN: Friedrich Merz, Germany’s conservative election winner, began coalition talks yesterday, warning that “the world isn’t waiting for us.”
His CDU/CSU bloc secured over 28 per cent of the vote, defeating Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s SPD (16 per cent) and the Greens, while the far-right AfD celebrated a record 20 per cent.
Scholz admitted to a “bitter” loss, and his popular defense minister, Boris Pistorius, is expected to play a bigger role.
Merz’s campaign focused heavily on immigration after a series of deadly attacks blamed on migrants. Now, he must negotiate with his former rivals to build a stable government, likely a left-right “grand coalition” with the SPD.
The election took place against a backdrop of global uncertainty, with Donald Trump’s re-election in the U.S. unsettling Ukraine and Europe.
Merz, who has dismissed “illusions” about Trump, must now establish communication with him while strengthening European defenses.
Trump congratulated Merz, calling it a “great day for Germany and the US,” while French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also welcomed the conservative victory.
Germany’s political crisis erupted when Scholz’s coalition collapsed on November 6, the day Trump was re-elected.
The CDU/CSU fell short of its 30 per cent target, and the left-wing conservative BSW barely missed the 5 per cent threshold for Bundestag entry.
The liberal FDP also failed to clear the bar, simplifying coalition-building.
While Merz and other parties have vowed to keep the AfD out of power, he aims to form a government by mid-April. – AFP
