Olaf Scholz

German Election Exit Polls: Former Merkel Party Regains Top Spot, Populist AfD Surges to Strong Second Place, and Leftist Social Democrats Collapse

The exit polls for the federal elections in Germany predict that the neo-liberal Christian Democrats have come out on top, with the support of around one in three voters, with the populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) coming in a strong second place at nearly 20 per cent, beating out all members of the former ‘traffic light’ coalition government of likely outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

A general view shows volunteers counting the postal votes at the Cologne Trade Fair Center

German Election Earthquake: Establishment Freaks Out as Conservatives Open Door to Passing Migration Reform with ‘Firewalled’ AfD

A row over Germany’s open borders immigration system threatens to upend the political status quo ahead of the February general election, as the leader of Angela Merkel’s former party opened the door to passing restrictions with the help of the populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, sparking panic among the Berlin establishment.

Friedrich Merz, leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), right, Olaf Scholz, German