60 m. ago AP PHOTOS: Conservatives celebrate German election win as the far right sees historic success

German opposition leader Friedrich Merz’s conservatives have won a lackluster victory in a national election Sunday, projections show.

Culture

4 h. ago German election live: Conservatives projected to win and far

Exit polls show CDU/CSU as largest party with about 29%, with Alternative für Deutschland on about 20%German election 2025: results in full – liveOpinion is divided as Germany faces what some describe as the “most important election in their lifetime”. The country is expected to shift to the right as Friedrich Merz is in pole position to become Germany’s next chancellor, while far-right party AfD could become the second most powerful party.So earlier today I asked voters at a polling station in central Berlin what they expected from the election and what they wanted the next chancellor to focus on. Continue reading...

Politics

6 h. ago Friedrich Merz set to become Germany’s next chancellor, exit polls say

Far-right Alternative for Germany records best result with close to 20 per cent of the vote

Politics

7 h. ago German election live: voters head to polls amid fears over Ukraine security, Trump and rise of far right

Conservative opposition leader Friedrich Merz could unseat chancellor Olaf Scholz but threat of gains by far-right AfD looms largeBerlin correspondentIn the run-up to today’s vote, the Guardian’s Kate Connolly travelled more than 850 miles on trains across Germany to hear what its citizens have to say about the state of their nation. Continue reading...

Politics

13 h. ago German election: Voting begins after campaign dominated by economy and security fears

Conservative leader Friedrich Merz, 69, leads the race to become chancellor

Politics

16 h. ago Alternative for Germany set to make gains as Germany goes to the polls

Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democrats are poised to win, as the Social Democratic Party faces its worst result since 1887

Politics

16 h. ago Discontented Germany votes in an election with economy, migration and far

German voters are choosing their new government in an election dominated by worries about the years-long stagnation of Europe’s biggest economy, pressure to curb migration and growing uncertainty over the future of Ukraine and Europe’s alliance with the United States

Politics

28 h. ago Leading contenders make their final appeals to German voters before a landmark election

The contenders in Germany’s election are making their final appeals to voters

Politics

51 h. ago Germany at a crossroads: the reprise of the far right – photo essay

Germany is experiencing a political shift that is alarming many citizens. The photographer Fabian Ritter has spent years documenting the rise of the far-right AfD party and more extreme groups. Recent events illustrate the growing tensionIn the run-up to Sunday’s election in Germany the political climate has become more heated. There have been attacks on politicians and campaign workers, and election posters have been destroyed. Many felt unsettled or even threatened after Friedrich Merz, the leader of the centre-right CDU, proposed a bill to tighten immigration control that had the backing of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland.Björn Höcke, the AfD’s leader in Thuringia and head of its nationalist wing, speaks at the Domplatz in Erfurt during the party’s final campaign event before state elections, 31 August 2024. Continue reading...

Culture

3 d. ago Don’t mention the war: in Germany, politicians are hiding the truth about defence spending | Paul Taylor

By centring the discourse on immigration, MPs have handed support to the far right – and hidden a ticking economic timebomb from votersThe candidates to lead Germany’s next government are avoiding telling voters painful truths before Sunday’s crucial general election about Russia’s war in Ukraine, the coming disengagement of the US from Europe and the huge defence funding that is needed. Instead, the debate has largely focused on how to revive the ailing German economy after two years of recession and how to control migration, which has fuelled support for the far-right Alternative für Deutschland.The conservative CDU/CSU leader, Friedrich Merz, has swerved speaking about the need for massive borrowing to pay for a surge in defence spending because many of his supporters oppose extra debt. The Social Democratic (SPD) chancellor, Olaf Scholz, is dodging discussion of sending German troops to Ukraine as part of a possible European security force if a ceasefire agreement is reached bec...

Politics

3 d. ago German voters prepare to elect a new parliament. Here's what to expect on and after election day

German voters go to the polls Sunday to elect a parliament that will determine who runs the country for the next four years

Politics

5 d. ago 4 candidates want to be Germany's next chancellor. Who are they?

Four candidates are bidding to be Germany’s next leader in Sunday’s election

Politics