Even though A.F.D may not be part of the new government, it got twice as many votes as in the last election.
AfD is supported by Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Its leaders, Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, believe the party is gaining strength for the 2029 election.
President Donald Trump reacted to the election results on Sunday. He celebrated after Merz defeated Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
“Looks like the conservative party in Germany has won the very big and highly anticipated election,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. He said Germans were tired of policies on energy and immigration.
He called it “a great day for Germany” and the U.S. under his leadership. He congratulated the winners and predicted more victories in the future.
Germany’s center-right CDU party won the election. The right-wing A.F.D came in second, based on exit polls.
The election happened as Germany faced problems with illegal immigration and a weak economy. Merz, the CDU leader, plans to take a tougher stance on immigration than Scholz but not as extreme as A.F.D.
Merz’s party got about 29% of the vote. He needs to form a coalition but refuses to work with A.F.D.