German conservatives block to win general election; far-right party AfD to gain ground: Exit poll

The alliance of Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU) are likely to win the national election of Germany, putting its leader Friedrich Merz on track to be the next chancellor, exit polls predicted.

They also indicate that right-wing Alternative Fur Deutschland (AfD) is heading for its strongest show for a far-right party since World War II, according to the Associated Press.

An exit poll published by ZDF public broadcaster showed the conservative CDU/CSU bloc won 28.5% of the vote, followed by the AfD with 20%.

Coming in third were the ruling center-left Social Democrats (SPD) with 16%, just edging their current coalition partners, the Greens, reported Deutsche Welle.

Voting in Germany's national election began on Sunday, pitting incumbent chancellor Olaf Scholz against opposition leader Friedrich Merz, Vice Chancellor and environmentalist Greens candidate Robert Habeck and co-leader of the far-right AfD, Alice Weidel.

Polling began at 8am local time and ended at 6pm. About 60 million people in Germany were eligible to vote.

Sunday’s election comes as Germany and the rest of Europe grapple with the new Trump administration, the Russia-Ukraine war and security across the continent.

The election comes seven months ahead of schedule following the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-party coalition in early November. It’s only the fourth time the Bundestag, the German federal parliament, has been dissolved ahead of schedule following a confidence vote under Germany’s post-World War II constitution.

Who is Friedrich Merz?

Merz, 69, lacks prior government experience but has vowed to deliver stronger leadership than Chancellor Olaf Scholz. He aims to strengthen ties with key allies and reestablish Germany's central role in Europe.

He took office pledging to kill off the nativist AfD by breaking with Merkel's centrism and moving the party rightwards.

"I want to do politics so that a party like the AfD is no longer needed in Germany," he told a congress of his conservatives in January, blaming the Social Democrat Scholz and his Green partners for creating the conditions that nurtured the AfD, reported Reuters.

(Inputs from agencies)