Germany faces its second change of leader in less than four years after the head of the center-right opposition won Sunday’s election.

Friedrich Merz is on course to become post-World War II Germany’s 10th chancellor, the culmination of a yearslong political career that was once sidelined by his party’s iconic leader

The contenders in Germany's election made their final appeals to voters Saturday, with opposition leader and front-runner Friedrich Merz vowing to revive the stagnant economy and defend Europe's interests in the face of a confrontational U.

Germany’s political system is set up to exclude extremists. Yet the country is waking up to a new political reality that has lurched to the right with the once outcast Alternative for Germany (AfD) party now firmly established in German politics.

Maps show how every district in Germany voted. The conservative Christian Democrats have won the most seats while the far-right AfD placed second.

The success of the Alternative for Germany, or AfD, is a sign of the times. Across Europe, far-right parties once on the fringe have gone mainstream.

An analysis of Germany’s election data shows that Sunday’s vote was historic for several reasons. Five key observations show how the country's politics are changing.

Winning the most votes and providing Germany's next chancellor-- the conservative Union of the Christian Democrats and its Bavarian sister party the Christian Social Union has achieved this goal. "We won the 2025 federal election,

Germany's main conservative Christian Democrat parties won parliamentary elections Sunday in a vote that saw the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) achieve a record score. In total, 32 constituencies also switched from the SPD to AfD.