Germany's electoral authority declared the CDU/CSU conservative bloc as the winner in preliminary results. Conservative leader Friedrich Merz urged Europe to distance itself from the US.
Merz's CDU/CSU wins Bundestag election — preliminary results
Friedrich Merz's CDU/CSU conservative alliance has won the general election with 28.6% of the vote, according to preliminary results announced by Germany's federal electoral body.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) secured 20.8% of the vote, which is the party's strongest result to date at the federal level.
Outgoing chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats' (SPD) share of the vote dropped to 16.4%, putting them at third place.
The SPD's junior coalition partner, the environmentalist Greens, won 11.6%.
The pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) netted only 4.3%, meaning that it will not enter the Bundestag as it did not pass the 5% threshold for representation in parliament. The same goes for the left-wing populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), which got 4.97%.
The socialist Left Party achieved 8.8% of the vote.
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France's Macron, UK's Starmer congratulate Merz
French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated Friedrich Merz on the election result, stressing his determination to work for a "strong, sovereign Europe."
"In this period of uncertainty, we are united to face the great challenges of the world and our continent," Macron said.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer also congratulated Merz.
"I look forward to working with the new government to deepen our already strong relationship, enhance our joint security and deliver growth for both our countries," he said.