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By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
BERLIN/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU/CSU), led by Friedrich Merz, has won the German Federal Election, known for its anti-migration stance and considered right-wing, emerged as the second-largest faction, exit polls showed Sunday.
If confirmed as expected, the outcome would put Merz, 69, on the path to becoming the next chancellor of Europe’s largest economy.
Yet it marked a significant shift to the right in German politics as the AfD became the nation’s second-largest political force, despite concerns about past neo-Nazi tendencies within its ranks.
The conservative Merz, who rules out forming a coalition government with the AfD, will need to ally with at least one party, most likely outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats.
Scholz’s ruling “traffic light coalition” of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Free Democratic Party (FDP), and Alliance 90/The Greens, named after the parties’ traditional colors, red, yellow, and green, collapsed last year over a budget deficit.
Merz promised “to fix” most problems in four years, including massive migration, economic difficulties, and a car industry struggling to catch up with China‘s electric vehicles flooding the European markets.
Yet, with a strong AfD and economic headwind, it was unclear whether he could realize his ambitious political agenda.
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Sunday’s voting came in a nation still in shock after several attacks linked to Islamic migrants, including a stabbing near the Holocaust Museum in Berlin, which injured a 30-year-old Spanish tourist on Friday.
Amid mounting public anger over these and other attacks, many voters turns their back to the established parties, the outcome suggested.
The AfD will almost double from over 10 to nearly 20 percent, its most significant success ever, according to forecasts.
The Social Democrats likely achieved their worst result ever in the Bundestag, Germany parliament with a reported 16 percent of the vote. The CDU/CSU will reach 29 percent, exit polls showed.
The Greens and the far-left Die Linke were both clearly above the electoral threshold of 5 percent with 13.5 and 8.5 percent respectively.
However the liberal Free Democratic Party or FDP, which left Scholz’s government at the end of last year, may not return as it received just 4.9 percent of the votes, according to forecasts.
The new party, BSW, a split from Die Linke, would remain just below the 4.7 percent threshold.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
The confrontation between the United States and Iran escalated sharply this weekend after President Donald Trump issued a stark ultimatum threatening to “obliterate” Iran’s power infrastructure if Tehran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours — one of the world’s most critical chokepoints.
Iran escalated its conflict with the United States by launching two long-range missiles at the U.S.-U.K. base on Diego Garcia—its first confirmed use of intermediate-range ballistic missiles. The strike, targeting a base about 2,500 miles away, revealed capabilities far beyond what many analysts had expected.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday night was “a very difficult evening in the campaign for our future” after Iranian ballistic missiles struck the southern cities of Dimona and Arad, injuring at least 175 people and causing significant damage to civilian neighborhoods.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will help with security efforts at the nation’s airports beginning Monday as a partial government shutdown is causing lengthy delays for passengers, President Donald Trump wrote Sunday on social media.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday will hear arguments in a consequential case to determine if states can accept and count mail-in ballots after Election Day.
U.S. President Donald J. Trump used a major conservative gathering in Hungary to endorse Prime Minister Viktor Orbán ahead of a high-stakes April 12 election, as warnings over mass migration and what speakers described as the “Islamization of Europe” dominated the conference.
Human rights activists and senior officials have expressed concern about Russia’s interference in Hungary’s upcoming elections after revelations that a former interpreter of Russian President Vladimir Putin is part of an international observation mission overseeing the April 12 vote.
The Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs encapsulate the beauty, wisdom, and eternal truths found in the Bible, creating an immersive experience that resonates with believers and seekers alike.
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