Friedrich Merz set to become Germany's next Chancellor after CDU election victory

Friedrich Merz is set to replace Olaf Scholz as Germany's Chancellor after his party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), won the most votes in the recent national elections. The CDU/CSU alliance secured 28.5% of the votes, while Scholz's Social Democratic Party (SPD) fell to 16%. Merz, who has a background in law and business, previously left politics a decade ago but returned to lead the CDU in 2022. He emphasized the need for a swift formation of the new government following the election results. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) came in second with around 20.7% of the votes, marking a significant rise in their political presence. However, they are unlikely to join the government due to coalition partner refusals.