Germany's SPD faces historic election defeat as CDU wins with record low support

Germany's recent elections saw the center-right CDU party win but achieve a historically low result of 29 percent. The far-right AfD doubled its support to 19.5 percent, while the SPD, led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, fell to third place with 16 percent. The Green Party received 13.5 percent, and Die Linke surprised with 8.5 percent, exceeding pre-election expectations. The liberal FDP, however, faced a setback, projected to receive just 4.9 percent, below the 5 percent needed to enter parliament. Coalition talks are expected to be challenging for CDU leader Friedrich Merz, as the party has ruled out partnering with the AfD. Possible coalitions include combinations with the SPD or Die Linke, but the path forward remains uncertain.