An election poster in the centre of Frankfurt, 20 February 2025. Photo: Michael Probst / AP
Germany is currently holding early parliamentary elections amid domestic problems and international crises. The elections are the result of the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition government, which failed to cope with economic difficulties and the migration crisis.
Polling stations are expected to close at 18:00 local time (19:00 Kyiv time), after which the first exit poll results will be available.
According to the latest polls, the leaders of the race are the Christian Democrats’ CDU/CSU bloc, which could win around 30%, and the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD), which is on track to win around 20% of the vote. The Social Democrats (SPD) and the Greens are far behind, with 16% and 13% respectively.
In total, more than 59 million Germans are eligible to vote to elect the new Bundestag, which will consist of 630 members. It is this parliament that will determine who will become the country’s next chancellor.
The favourite in the race is Friedrich Merz (CDU/CSU), who is predicted to succeed Olaf Scholz as chancellor. However, the future coalition is still uncertain, and long negotiations to form a government are likely.
The new government’s main challenges include fighting the recession, adopting the 2025 budget, supporting industry, and tightening migration controls.
