German election: CDU/CSU largest party and 20 per cent for AfD, indicate first exit polls
The first exit polls after the close of polling stations show that the Christian democratic bloc CDU/CSU becomes Germany's largest party again after three years of opposition, with 28.5 per cent of the vote. The other big winner of the election is the far-right party AfD, which would take 20 per cent of the vote.
Germany’s polling stations closed around 6 pm. The first exit polls show that the CDU/CSU will become Germany's largest party, as expected. In the exit polls, the Christian democrats received 28.5 per cent of the vote. Their leader Friedrich Merz thus has the best chance to become the new chancellor.
The second party would be the AfD, which is growing enormously. The far-right party would gain 20 per cent of the vote, a doubling compared to the federal elections in 2021. All other parties however rule out the AfD as a coalition partner, so they won’t be in the new government.
German voters are heavily punishing current chancellor Olaf Scholz's SPD, it seems. The social democrats come in at 16.5 per cent in the poll, which would constitute a loss of about 10 percentage points. The Greens seem to remain relatively stable, at 12 per cent.
It looks like the CDU will have to form a new government with two coalition partners, but that is not yet certain.
Supporters of Friedrich Merz, leader of Germany's conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) © BELGA PHOTO INA FASSBENDER / AFP
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