Germany's Merz seeks European defense independence after election win

Friedrich Merz, leader of Germany's CDU/CSU alliance, aims to strengthen European defense independence from the US after winning 28.5% of the vote in the recent election. This marks a significant shift as outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz's SPD fell to a historic low of 16.4%. The far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) achieved its best result ever, securing 20.8% of the vote. Despite this, mainstream parties have ruled out coalition talks with the AfD, maintaining a political barrier against far-right collaboration. Merz plans to form a coalition government by Easter, potentially with the SPD, which would create a more stable government than the previous coalition. The election results reflect a changing political landscape in Germany, with significant implications for future governance.