The Social Democratic SPD has received 25.7 percent of the vote and is the largest party in Germany. The conservative bloc CDU / CSU is declining sharply and gets 24.1 percent.
The result of the CDU / CSU, which comes when Angela Merkel is about to resign after 16 years as prime minister, is the worst of all time.
The Greens make their best choice ever, with 14.8 percent. Liberal FDP ends at 11.5 percent, while right-wing radical AfD ends at 10.3 percent.
At the same time, the left-wing party Die Linke ends up at 4.9 percent and thus just below the barrier limit, results from German electoral authorities Monday morning. Thus, the party loses several dozen seats.
Although the election result is known, it will probably take a long time before Merkel’s successor is in place.
The key lies with the Greens and the FDP, but while the Greens prefer the Social Democrats, the FDP wants the Conservatives. The parties will have to rule together if they are to sit in a majority.
Both SPD’s Olaf Scholz and CDU / CSU’s Armin Laschet said on Sunday that they would try to form a government, preferably before Christmas.
– It must be the case that I and I do everything we can to make sure we are ready for Christmas, the Social Democrat Olaf Scholz said during the party leader debate on election night.
Christian Democrat Armin Laschet said he had the same goal as his rival.
“Definitely before Christmas,” Laschet said.
If they fail to do so, Merkel could overtake Helmut Kohl and become the longest-serving prime minister in the country ever.
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