Germans have just voted the conservative opposition to power in a general election that was dominated by worries about the years-long stagnation in Europe’s largest economy and a growing sentiment against immigrants. The Christian Democratic Union of Germany/Christian-Social Union (CDU/CSU) alliance led by Friedrich Merz has won 29 per cent votes, the most, while the Far-Right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) has become the second largest party, securing 21 per cent of votes, nearly doubling its tally as against the last election.
The results indicated that Merz’s Christian Democrats and the centre-left Social Democrats secured a majority of seats in the national legislature, as smaller parties did not meet the electoral threshold. This positions Merz favourably for becoming the country’s next chancellor. He has, however, dismissed the idea of forming a coalition with the AfD. In fact, all the major parties have committed to upholding a “firewall” that prevents any formal collaboration with the anti-migrant, pro-Kremlin AfD. It is pertinent to note here that the AfD has received considerable endorsements from figures such as US President Donald Trump’s advisor, Elon Musk, and US Vice President JD Vance during the brief but intense campaign.
Merz’s conservative party secured 208 seats in the 630-seat Bundestag, while the AfD garnered 152 seats. The three parties that comprised the previous governing coalition experienced a loss of seats, with the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SDP) led by outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz dropping to 120 and the Greens to 85. The pro-business Free Democrats, which instigated early elections by withdrawing from the coalition, did not achieve the 5 per cent of the vote necessary to gain any seats. The Left party obtained 64 seats, while the leftist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance fell just short of the 5 per cent threshold.
Incidentally, the German elections threw up two interesting contrasts. The 69-year-old Merz, who stands 6’5″ tall, is a known misogynist and has barely any women in his leadership group. Throughout his political career, Merz has consistently advocated for conservative values and emphasized the significance of family. In the 1990s, he opposed the liberalization of abortion laws and voted against pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. Infamously, he also voted against the criminalization of marital rape in 1997. A lawyer by profession, Merz has faced delays in reaching the top position, largely due to former Chancellor Angela Merkel’s influence in the early 2000s. After leaving parliament in 2009, he stepped away from active politics for several years, during which he practised law and led the supervisory board of the German branch of BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager. Despite his extensive political background, Merz is approaching the chancellery without any prior experience in government.
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On the other hand is Alice Weidel, the woman who heads the AfD. Weidel is in a same sex marriage with a Swiss citizen of Sri Lankan origin. The couple has two adopted sons and splits their time between Switzerland and Germany. Weidel is an economist by profession and has previously worked with Goldman Sachs and the Bank of China. Her grandfather, Hans Weidel, was a Nazi judge who was appointed directly by Adolf Hitler to pass judgments on those who opposed the Third Reich.
For now, under Merz’s leadership, it will be interesting to observe how Germany, a key NATO member, navigates the challenges posed by Russia and, more recently, by the United States, where Donald Trump’s return has created global turmoil. Merz has emphasized that his primary focus is to foster unity in Europe in response to these challenges. At a time when the US, under Trump’s influence, is disregarding established norms of international cooperation and international law, a robust and united Europe is more essential than ever. What remains to be seen is whether Merz, as the leader of the European Union’s most populous country, can ensure that.