Angela Merkel. Photograph by Marcela
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union party (CDU) has won Germany’s election and looks set for a third term in office, but finished just short of an absolute majority.
Merkel’s conservative bloc won 41.5% of the vote, a “super result” that Merkel urged her party to celebrate. In a speech at CDU headquarters after the announcement of the results she said:
“We can celebrate tonight because we have done something fantastic.”
However, the news was not so good for the current junior coalition partner, the Free Democrats (FDP), as they only received 4.8% of the vote, which leaves them with no seats in parliament for the first time since 1945.
The CDU and sister party, the Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU), very nearly came to winning an overall majority
Merkel is now believed to be looking towards the Social Democrats (SPD), who won 26% of the vote, to form a grand coalition.
Germany’s election results:
- CDU bloc: 41.5%
- SPD: 26%
- FDP: 4.8%
- Left Party: 8.6%
- Green: 8.4%
- AFD: 4.7%
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