23.02.2025 20:50
Early general elections in Germany have concluded. According to the first exit poll, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Christian Social Union (CSU) received 29% of the votes, securing the first place. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party came in second with 19.5% of the votes. The Social Democratic Party, which nominated the current Chancellor Olaf Scholz as their candidate again, experienced a loss of 9.7%.
In Germany, approximately 59.2 million voters have the right to vote in the early general elections, which ended at 18:00 local time; the results of the first exit poll have also been revealed.
CHRISTIAN UNION PARTIES RECEIVED 29% OF THE VOTE
According to the first exit poll published by the German First Television Channel ARD, the Christian Union (CDU/CSU) parties, which nominated Friedrich Merz, the leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), as their candidate for chancellor, received 29% of the vote.
The CDU/CSU, consisting of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), organized in the state of Bavaria, increased its vote share by 4.9 points compared to the 2021 elections.
AfD IN SECOND PLACE
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party increased its vote share by 9.1 points compared to the previous elections, coming in second with 19.5% of the vote.
BIG SHOCK FOR SCHOLZ
The Social Democratic Party (SPD), which nominated the current Chancellor Olaf Scholz as their candidate again, saw its vote share drop by 9.7 points compared to the previous election. The SPD is in third place with a vote share of 16%. If this rate remains, the SPD will have received the lowest vote share in general elections since World War II.
LOSSES FOR THE GREENS PARTY
The Greens Party also saw its vote share decrease by 1.2 points compared to the 2021 elections, dropping to 13.5%.