Union election: Merz and the AfD set new standards in Germany!

Union election: Merz and the AfD set new standards in Germany!

Vienna, Österreich - The Bundestag election in Germany has delivered groundbreaking results. The Union, under the leadership of the top candidate Friedrich Merz, took first place with a clear 40 percent, while the alternative for Germany (AfD) achieved a record result of around 20 percent and thus emerged as a clear number two from the electoral system. These resulted elections bring the SPD of the previous Chancellor Olaf Scholz into a precarious situation: The party has to expect a historical low of only 18 percent, such as orf.at reported.

Voter turnout was the highest since reunification at 83 percent and shows the conspicuous interest of the electorate. Over 59 million citizens were called for election, including about 2.3 million young first voters. The reactions from Austria are mixed. The ÖVP congratulated the election winners, concerned about the rise of the AfD, while SPÖ boss Andreas Babler described the developments as "fire-safe". He warned of the threat of democratic achievements by the strengthened radical forces, as well as vienna.at shown.

political reactions and future prospects

Especially the ÖVP with its leaders such as Karoline Edtstadler and Johanna Mikl-Leitner expressed optimistic about the perspectives of a stable German government and demanded a more restrictive migration policy. On the opposition in Germany, however, the gains of the AfD are seen as alarming and the integration power of a democratic coalition is questioned. For the upcoming coalition formation, it will be crucial whether the FDP and the BSW (Alliance for Social Responsibility) can make the leap into the Bundestag, which according to orf.at remains uncertain.

In particular, the Vienna KPÖ federal government spokesman Tobias Schweiger sees the left as a central force in the opposition to counteract the shift to the right. He emphasizes the responsibility of the left to offer a solidarity alternative and marks the coming time as crucial for social issues, also in Germany. It remains to be seen whether the Bundestag election ultimately produces a significant political change.