Friedrich Merz begins coalition talks after conservative election win in Germany

Friedrich Merz, leader of Germany's conservative bloc, will begin coalition talks on Monday after winning the national election. His party secured 28.6% of the vote, while the far-right Alternative for Germany received 20.8%, marking its best result. Merz faces challenges in forming a government as mainstream parties refuse to collaborate with the AfD, which is under scrutiny for extremism. He will likely negotiate with the centre-left Social Democrats to establish a coalition. The election follows the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's three-party alliance. Merz's coalition talks may take months due to significant policy differences highlighted during the campaign.