Friedrich Merz begins coalition talks after conservative election win in Germany

Friedrich Merz, leader of Germany's conservative CDU/CSU, won the election with over 28% of the vote, defeating Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats, who received 16%. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) gained over 20%, complicating coalition talks. Merz aims to quickly form a stable government, reaching out to former rivals in the SPD. He emphasized the need for unity amid challenges from the U.S. and a recession in Germany. The CDU/CSU fell short of their 30% goal, making coalition-building more difficult. The political landscape shifted after Scholz's coalition collapsed in November. Merz plans to exclude the AfD from power and hopes to establish a left-right coalition with the SPD by mid-April.