German conservatives win federal election and plan coalition talks

Germany's conservative leader Friedrich Merz announced plans to quickly form a new government after his CDU/CSU bloc won 28.8% of the votes in the recent federal election. The far-right Alternative for Germany received 20.2%, while Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats came in third with 16.2%. Merz aims to establish a coalition within two months, emphasizing the need for Germany to take a stronger leadership role in Europe. His coalition options include the SPD or the Greens, potentially requiring a three-party alliance for a majority. Main disagreements may arise over social welfare, migration, and defense funding. All mainstream parties have ruled out coalition talks with the AfD, keeping the far-right party out of government.