Centre-right party wins German election as far-right makes historic gains

In Germany's recent national election, opposition leader Friedrich Merz's centre-right party is projected to win with just under 29% of the vote. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) nearly doubled its support, reaching about 20%, marking its strongest performance since World War II. Chancellor Olaf Scholz's centre-left Social Democrats finished in third place with over 16%, their worst result in postwar history. The environmentalist Greens received around 12-13%, while the hard-left Left Party secured up to 9%. Merz faces challenges in forming a coalition government, as he has ruled out partnering with AfD. The election was held early due to the collapse of Scholz's coalition, amid public discontent and economic concerns.