Germany, Friedrich Merz

Who is Friedrich Merz, the man on course to take Germany’s top job after election?
He has vowed to prioritize European unity and the continent’s security as it grapples with the new Trump administration and Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Deeply divided Germany elects conservative Merz chancellor, far right surges to second place
Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democrats took the highest portion of a record number of votes. An ascendant far right, crumbling international order and sluggish German economy face the incoming chancellor.
Germany Elections: Conservatives Win, Far-Right in Second Place
Friedrich Merz's CDU won Germany's elections with 28.6 percent, while the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) recorded big gains.
Germany's conservatives win election as far-right AfD leaps to second place, exit polls show
The Christian Democratic Union and its allied Christian Social Union secured the largest share of votes in the German federal election, exit polls show.
Election-winning conservatives to tread bumpy path as Germany shifts right
BERLIN - Preliminary results show that Germany's conservative bloc, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU), has emerged as the winner of the federal election, reclaiming its position as the largest force in parliament and signaling a major political shift.
Germany's election won by conservatives, and far-right AfD party surges, official results show
Provisional results confirmed that mainstream conservatives led by Friedrich Merz won Germany's national election​, while far-right party AfD surged to become the nation's second-largest.
Germany's conservatives declare victory in Berlin. Now the hard work begins
A conservative alliance made up of the CDU and CSU is set to lead Germany again, but the new coalition government will have to confront pressing challenges.
German conservatives win election as AfD surges into second
Friedrich Merz is set to become Germany’s next chancellor after his centre-Right Christian Democratic Union [CDU] party won the election on Sunday night.
Germany to move toward 'independence' from US, new leader says
Friedrich Merz's CDU party emerged as the largest party in Germany's parliament, the Bundestag, earning 28.6% of the vote.
Can Germany’s new leader fend off the far right?
Paul Hockenos is a journalist and author based in Berlin. His most recent book is “Berlin Calling: A Story of Anarchy, Music, ...
Germany’s far-right may be frozen out of power, but the AfD is now a powerful force
Germany’s political system is set up to exclude extremists. Yet the country is waking up to a new political reality that has ...
Germany Is Europe’s Guiding Light. The U.S. Is the Storm.
Merz’s government is the last chance for the German establishment parties to govern effectively,” says Matt Gertken, ...
5 Takeaways From Germany’s Election
Friedrich Merz and his party won, Elon Musk didn’t seem to move voters, and more lessons from an early German vote with big ...
German election winner Merz and center-left rivals start sounding out a possible coalition
Negotiators from German election winner Friedrich Merz’s conservative bloc and the center-left Social Democrats have started ...
German election results explained in graphics
The conservative CDU led by Friedrich Merz won Germany's 2025 election. Here's a look at the wins and losses, seats in parliament, voter demographics and possible coalition outcomes.
Germany’s outsiders: Understanding the right-wing party roiling Berlin
The Washington Examiner followed the Berlin-Pankow chapter of the AfD in the days up to election night as the once-outsider ...