In the early elections for the German Bundestag, the Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) led by Friedrich Merz are in the lead, according to reports from ARD and ZDF based on exit polls conducted at polling stations on February 23.
According to ARD, the bloc received 28.9% of the votes, while ZDF reports 28.6%.
Election results from ZDF
In second place, for the first time in post-war German history, is the far-right party "Alternative for Germany" (AfD), which is polling between 19.5% and 20%.
According to exit polls, the Social Democratic Party (SPD) led by Olaf Scholz secured between 16% and 16.5%, along with the Greens (12% to 13.5%) and the Left Party (8.5% to 9%).
As reported by ZDF, the left-populist Alliance of Sarah Wagenknecht (SSW) and the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) each received 5% of the votes, while ARD indicates they received less than 5%.
Election results from ARD
To enter the Bundestag, a party must obtain more than 5% of the votes. Voter turnout for the Bundestag elections was reported at 83% by ZDF.
Historically, exit poll results tend to be relatively accurate, and predictions usually do not change significantly in the hours following the end of voting, according to Bloomberg.
Preliminary voting results will be available on February 24.
Since no party has an absolute majority, the chancellor will be the leader of the party that receives the most votes and will head the governing coalition. Most likely, the new chancellor will be conservative Friedrich Merz.
Leaders of the parties leading in the polls will give a joint interview on the evening of February 23 to discuss the prospects of coalition formation.
Compared to the results of the 2021 elections, the AfD has doubled its outcome, while Olaf Scholz's SPD may, for the first time in history, become only the third strongest party in the Bundestag.
Scholz's party has recorded its worst results since its inception.
Earlier, "Podrobnosti" reported on who might replace Scholz and what this means for Ukraine.