Germany's Conservative Alliance wins election as far-right AfD secures second place

Germany's Conservative Alliance, led by Friedrich Merz, has won the recent election with 28.5 to 29% of the votes. This marks a significant shift in power, likely leading to Merz replacing Olaf Scholz as Chancellor. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) came in second with 19.5 to 20%, nearly doubling its previous election result. Despite this gain, the AfD will not be part of the government due to coalition partners' refusal to work with them. Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democratic Party (SPD) faced a historic low, receiving 16 to 16.5% of the votes. Other parties, including the Greens and Die Linke, also saw reduced support in this election.