Bild: Merz does it | Merz macht’s
FAZ: Merz wants to form a government by Easter | Merz will bis Ostern Regierung bilden
Funke: Merz headed for the chancellery | Merz vor Kanzlerschaft
Handelsblatt: Election winner Merz | Wahlsieger Merz
RND: The center is shrinking, the east is a harbinger: Six lessons from the Bundestag election | Die Mitte schrumpft, der Osten ist Vorbote: Sechs Lehren aus der Bundestagswahl
SZ: “The world out there won’t wait for us” | „Die Welt da draußen wartet nicht auf uns“
Tagesspiegel: Election winner Merz faces difficult task of forming a government | Wahlsieger Merz vor schwieriger Regierungsbildung
taz: Grandpa against the left | Opa gegen Links
Welt: Union wins by a wide margin. AfD doubles vote share, SPD scores historically low vote | Union gewinnt mit Abstand die Wahl. AfD verdoppelt, SPD historisch schlecht
CDU/CSU 28.5 percent (+4.4), SPD 16.4 percent (-9.3), Greens 11.6 percent (-3.1), FDP 4.3 percent (-7.1), AfD 20.8 percent (+10.4), Left Party 8.8 percent (+3.9), BSW 4.97 percent (+4.97), Others 4.6 percent. bundeswahlleiterin.de
- The election results show a clear age divide. The Greens and the Left Party did particularly well among younger people. Older voters, on the other hand, tend to vote for the CDU/CSU and SPD. Among the over-70s, the CDU/CSU received 43 percent. The SPD was almost 5 percentage points above its overall result among the 60-69 year olds.
- According to ARD, the largest increase for the CDU of almost 1.9 million voters comes from former SPD voters. 1.3 million switched from the FDP. In addition, the CDU was able to win over a million former non-voters. At the same time, however, it lost around 830,000 votes to the AfD.
CDU leader Friedrich Merz intends to form a new government. He said that other countries would not wait for lengthy coalition talks in Berlin; Germany must quickly become capable of acting again. Merz announced that a new government would be in place by Easter. Merz said that Germany and Europe must achieve independence from the USA. n-tv.de
Chancellor Olaf Scholz admitted defeat and took personal responsibility for it. He said the election result was bitter for the SPD. Scholz does not want to be involved in future coalition talks. He said it is now up to others to find a way to form a government. He congratulated Merz on his mandate to form the future government. Scholz spoke out in favor of further aid for Ukraine on ARD. spiegel.de
Green Party candidate for chancellor Robert Habeck was satisfied with the result despite losses, arguing that the party had fought its way out of its lows in the polls. He expressed openness to a coalition with the CDU/CSU and SPD. However, Habeck emphasized that he did not think it would come that due to opposition from Bavaria’s CSU. Habeck blames his party’s weak election result on Friedrich Merz and his joint vote with the AfD on the migration issue; Merz has thus strengthened the fringes, he said.
Left-wing lead candidate Heidi Reichinnek said her party would fight louder and more clearly than ever before and work for an open society. Reichinnek said they were ready to work with all democratic parties. spiegel.de, rnd.de
FDP leader Christian Lindner announced the end of his political career. “Last fall, we took the full political risk for our country. We are paying a high price for it today. But this decision was the right one for Germany,” Lindner said in Berlin. He leaves with a feeling of gratitude for almost 25 intense, challenging years full of debate and creative work. FDP deputy Kubicki also announced his resignation.
BSW chair Mohamed Ali announced on the Berlin round of ARD and ZDF that her party would continue to exist even if it failed to enter parliament. In the end, the BSW missed entry into the Bundestag with 4.972 percent.
AfD top candidate Alice Weidel offered the Union support in government. Only in this way would a change of policy in Germany be possible. She predicted that her party would be the strongest force in the next federal election.
Reactions from the parties:
- SPD leader Lars Klingbeil called for personnel changes and a generational shift within the SPD. It is necessary to rebuild the Social Democrats as a “people’s party of the center-left”, he said. Lars Klingbeil is to become SPD parliamentary leader. Party and parliamentary group leadership should “lie in the same hands” in the future. tagesspiegel.de
- Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said he wants to take on a leadership role in talks to form a new government. He said that the SPD is willing to talk and that it is now important to form a stable, democratic majority.
- SPD Secretary-General Matthias Miersch sees the poor election result as a slap in the face for the broken traffic light coalition; whether the SPD should have run with a different chancellor candidate is speculation. Miersch emphasized that the SPD’s participation in the government is not „automatic“.
- Rhineland-Palatinate’s Prime Minister Alexander Schweitzer said that he had repeatedly had the impression that it was not known whether Merz “would stick to a strategy from morning to night”.
- Saarland’s Prime Minister Anke Rehlinger again criticized Merz for gambling away trust by voting with the AfD. Thousands of people have taken to the streets to protest this very issue.
- CSU leader Markus Söder continues to rule out a coalition with the Greens.
- CSU top candidate Alexander Dobrindt reaffirms his rejection of a coalition between the Union parties and the Greens; with the Greens, there would be no change in policy.
- North Rhine-Westphalia’s Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst sees a clear election victory for the CDU and its candidate Friedrich Merz. “We have clearly improved. This shows that voters want a fresh start for our country.”
- CDU/CSU parliamentary director Thorsten Frei fears a difficult formation of the government. There is an enormous fragmentation in society, which is reflected in parliament, he said on ZDF.
- EPP leader Manfred Weber has called for a quick formation of the government and sees Friedrich Merz as well positioned for the international stage.
- Green Party leader Franziska Brantner criticized CDU and CSU politicians who had rejected a coalition with her party. Germany needs a chancellor who unites and does not divide, Brantner said on ZDF.
- Left Party leader Jan van Aken is optimistic about the upcoming legislative period; even in opposition, his party can enact change.
Constituencies:
- How the constituencies voted. zdf.de
- Green Party lead candidate Robert Habeck loses his Flensburg-Schleswig constituency.
- Chancellor Olaf Scholz barely manages to defend direct mandate in Brandenburg.
- CDU leader Friedrich Merz has won his direct mandate in Hochsauerland by a clear margin.
- Long-standing member of the Left Party Gregor Gysi wins his Berlin constituency and could open the new legislative period as the oldest member of parliament.
- Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has clearly won as the SPD direct candidate in the constituency of Hanover-Stadt II.
Hamas condemns Israel’s decision to postpone the release of Palestinian prisoners: The terrorist organization said that the claim that the handover ceremonies for the hostages were humiliating was a pretext to avoid obligations under the ceasefire agreement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had announced that the planned release of Palestinians from prison would be postponed until the release of the next hostages was guaranteed to be free of propaganda. Six Israeli hostages were handed over to the Red Cross, with masked Hamas fighters once again staging the handover with onlookers, music and Palestinian flags. tagesschau.de
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calls on the US and Europe to stand together: Zelenskyy said on the third anniversary of the war in Ukraine that it was possible to achieve a lasting and just peace for Ukraine if all partners were united. His country needs the strength of all of Europe and the United States. handelsblatt.com, br.de
- Zelenskyy said he was ready to give up his post if it meant peace in Ukraine; he could thus exchange his resignation for Ukraine’s membership of NATO. He wants to see US President Donald Trump as a partner for Ukraine and not just as a mediator between Ukraine and Russia. Mediation alone is “not enough.” zdf.de, spiegel.de
- Meanwhile, Trump said he did not consider Selenskyj’s presence at the negotiations to be “very important”, since Kiev has no leverage.
- Russia’s government has announced a new meeting with US representatives in the coming days. Moscow expects “real progress” in bilateral relations from the meeting with US diplomats, the state news agency Tass quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Riabkov as saying.
NATO plans kerosene pipeline across Germany to Poland and the Czech Republic: Germany will contribute more than 3.5 billion euros to the project, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told Der Spiegel. NATO’s existing pipeline system from the Cold War currently ends in Bramsche, Lower Saxony, and Ingolstadt in Bavaria. The total construction time is estimated at 20 to 25 years, but the pipeline itself should be largely completed by 2035. tagesschau.de, welt.de
Arrest warrant issued for suspect in stabbing attack at Berlin Holocaust memorial: A Syrian man has been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and attempted murder. On Friday evening, the attacker had fatally wounded a Spanish tourist in the field of stelae with a knife. The 19-year-old had come to Germany from Syria in 2023 and was resident in Leipzig. He stated that he had concocted a plan to kill Jews. That is why he chose the Holocaust Memorial as the scene of the crime. The recognized refugee was known to the Saxon police for various crimes. mdr.de
Thousands of people demonstrated again on Saturday against the lurch to the right in German politics: In Hamburg, more than 10,000 people took to the streets at two rallies to take a stand against the AfD and a split in society. They also campaigned for people to go to the polls and give the democratic parties a voice. In North Rhine-Westphalia, too, thousands of people took to the streets again for democracy and diversity, including in Krefeld and Essen.
Search in Potsdam after arrest on terrorism charges: During a search of an apartment, a suspicious object was discovered, according to police, but it did not turn out to be explosives. The apartment building was evacuated. The police had arrested the young Chechen at Berlin’s Tegel airport. He was remanded in custody. He is alleged to have planned a politically motivated attack in Berlin. According to media reports, the Israeli Embassy was to be the target. The five arrested Syrians were released. zdf.de
More news:
- Berlin: Police arrest alleged ATM bomber at Neukölln S-Bahn station. spiegel.de
- Lower Saxony: Police experts advise on cross-border ATM explosions. n-tv.de
EU Commission plans measures to protect undersea cables: Among other things, the capacities for special ships are to be expanded for this purpose. In addition, a network of underwater sensors and surveillance with drones is planned to detect sabotage more quickly. Commissioner for Digital and Border Technologies Henna Virkkunen said in Helsinki that the number of incidents that have occurred in critical underwater infrastructure in recent months is a cause for concern. heise.de
Polish Finance Minister Andrzej Domanski in favor of changing EU debt rules: EU states should be able to invest in their military without violating fiscal rules, Domanski told WamS. He advocated a new financing mechanism to enable member states to produce and procure defense equipment together. The EU Commission has already announced that it will allow member states to deviate from European debt rules if they increase their defense spending. welt.de
The conservative ÖVP, social democratic SPÖ and liberal Neos want to form a government in Austria. After talks with the party leaders at the Hofburg in Vienna, Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen said he had the impression that progress had been made. The coalition negotiations are on the home straight. The ÖVP leader Christian Stocker was also confident. Neos leader Beate Meinl-Reisinger admitted that there were still some open questions. sueddeutsche.de, taz.de
Further arrests after deadly attack in Mulhouse in Alsace: The French anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office did not provide any further details. The alleged perpetrator remains in custody. He is an Algerian national who is required to leave the country. Investigators accuse him of attacking passers-by in a marketplace in Mulhouse. A 69-year-old man from Portugal was killed in the attack, and three other people were injured. President Emmanuel Macron called it an Islamist act of terrorism. France’s interior minister, Bruno Retailleau, has called for dangerous people who are required to leave the country to be held in custody until they are deported. tagesschau.de, faz.net
Hungary’s judges and court employees demonstrate for an independent judiciary: Thousands of people gathered in front of the Ministry of Justice in Budapest to protest against the nationalist government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban. “We do not take orders from the government,” said one of the rally’s organizers. The government and three judicial bodies signed an agreement in November linking pay increases to sweeping reforms. Critics accuse the government of pressuring the National Justice Council into signing the agreement in secret and without consultation. tagesschau.de
New investigations against Turkish opposition politician and mayor of Istanbul Ekrem Imamoglu: The public prosecutor’s office is investigating the suspicion that Imamoglu faked his university diploma, the Anadolu news agency reports. The constitution stipulates that every candidate for the presidential election must prove that they have a higher education qualification. He is due to testify on Wednesday. Over the weekend, Imamoglu had submitted his candidacy for the next presidential election. President Erdogan’s rival is already facing several proceedings. The politician of the left-wing nationalist CHP party believes the investigations are politically motivated. tagesanzeiger.ch
UN Security Council condemns violence in eastern Congo: In a unanimously adopted resolution, the council critized the involvement of Rwandan troops in the conflict. The Congolese government accuses neighboring Rwanda of supporting the rebel militia M23. UN experts estimate that there are at least 4,000 Rwandan soldiers in eastern Congo. tagesspiegel.de
US President Donald Trump wants Musk to take a more aggressive approach: He has called on his adviser Elon Musk to be tougher in dismantling federal agencies and jobs. Musk said that in line with Trump’s instructions, all federal employees would soon receive an email asking them to explain what they had done in the past week. Musk threatened that failure to respond would be considered a resignation. zdf.de, handelsblatt.com
More news:
- Bulgaria: Right-wing protesters attack EU office in Sofia. zeit.de
- Poland: Majority against participation in peacekeeping mission in Ukraine. polskieradio.pl
- Great Britain: Apple switches off full encryption at the request of the government. zdf.de
- Denmark: Greenland does not want to belong to the USA. noz.de
- Spain: National player Jennifer Hermoso appeals against the verdict against former football association boss Luis Rubiales. n-tv.de
- France: US magazine Time names Gisele Pelicot “Woman of the Year 2025”. zdf.de
- Finland: Life made difficult for migrants; country desperately needs immigrants. tagesspiegel.de
- Romania: Trump administration criticizes the annulment of the presidential election; concern about American security guarantees. nzz.ch
- Poland: Germany’s neighboring country sees itself as the new center of Europe. taz.de
- Vatican: Pope Francis continues to need oxygen supplies. t-online.de
Golden Bear for feature film “Drømmer” by Norwegian director Dag Johan Haugerud: It is the third part of a trilogy. It focuses on a young girl who falls in love with her teacher and keeps a diary about it. The Grand Jury Prize went to Brazilian director Gabriel Mascaro for his film “O ultimo azul”; in English “The Last Blue”. The Silver Bear for best acting performance in a leading role went to Australian actress Rose Byrne for “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You”. Irish actor Andrew Scott was honored for his supporting role in the chamber play “Blue Moon”. spiegel.de, rbb24.de
More counterfeit money in Germany: According to the Bundesbank, around 72,000 counterfeit banknotes were withdrawn from circulation in 2024. Compared to the previous year, this is an increase of 28 percent. However, since mainly 20 and 50 euro notes were counterfeited, the damage fell to 4.5 million euros. tagesschau.de
Plans for a direct rail link between Germany and London are taking shape: the Channel Tunnel operator Getlink announced a number of new destinations on the European continent, including Cologne and Frankfurt am Main. The background to this is the planned expansion of London’s St. Pancras International long-distance train station. The aim is to enable competing rail companies to travel from London to new destinations.
More news:
- Despite the recession, more large companies will be established in 2024 than in the previous year. zeit.de
- Verdi calls for strike at Düsseldorf and Cologne/Bonn airports on Monday. tagesschau.de
- Tractor manufacturer John Deere: Time off with bonus instead of job cuts. tagesschau.de
- Environmental aid agency considers residential parking in many cities to be too cheap. handelsblatt.com
- More than one in four new houses is a prefabricated house. handelsblatt.com
- Before IPO: Shein reports a slump in profits table.media/china
- ‚Gendern‘: The end of gender-neutral language at Audi & Co. welt.de
- US magazine Time: Gisèle Pelicot named Woman of the Year 2025 rnd.de
- Strategy evaluation: TikTok dominates the German election campaign – and inspires the left meedia.de
- “Speed Dating” vs. “Top Priority”: ProSieben & Sat.1 join forces on equal footing with Raab dwdl.de
- Berlinale: Golden Bear for feature film “Drømmer” by Norwegian director Dag Johan Haugerud deutschlandfunk.de
- “The White Lotus” star Carrie Coon: “Yes, it’s fun to be blonde” ksta.de
- Jewish Museum Westphalia in Dorsten presents portraits of people who fled from Ukraine wdr.de
- Exhibition at the Kunstmuseum Mülheim an der Ruhr looks at images of people and bodies in a contemporary context wdr.de
- Mick Jagger and his girlfriend Melanie Hamrick concerned for their son Deveraux Jagger, who had to be hospitalized after an accident gala.de
- Wück nominates Mahmutovic: DFB goalkeeper Winkler out after knee injury sportschau.de
- National player out with injury: FC Bayern concerned about Kimmich sport.de
- Hermoso after kiss ruling: “Important precedent for women’s rights” rnd.de
- Tennis pro Elena Rybakina: Her trainer is said to have abused her – and she defends him spiegel.de
- Review of the Biathlon World Championships: The French snow queens faz.net
- The next milestone for Mikaela Shiffrin – After two weak giant slaloms, Mikaela Shiffrin strikes back in the slalom. She wins and breaks a record that was long thought to be unattainable: her 100th World Cup victory faz.net
- DSV starters miss out on top ten: Norwegians dominate mass start – Bö takes bronze kicker.de
Travelbook readers vote the Greek island of Zakynthos the most beautiful in the world t-online.de