The conservative Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) have emerged with the highest percentage of seats in the German election, securing 28.9%, according to the latest projections.
German news network DW reports that the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) came in second with 19.7%, followed by the center-left Social Democrats with 16.1%.
However, the election of Germany’s new chancellor by the Bundestag will not occur until a governing coalition is formed, which could take months.
If these initial projections hold, CDU/CSU candidate Friedrich Merz could become the frontrunner to succeed Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
The process could take weeks or even months. In 2017, coalition negotiations took the longest amount of time in German history, leaving the country without a government for nearly six months.
However, if the political priorities of the partners are more closely aligned, and only two parties are involved instead of three, things can progress more quickly.
Parties select their lead candidate prior to the election. After the vote, parties seek to form a governing coalition.
Once a potential coalition has been assembled, the German president (Germany’s head of state) presents a candidate to be elected chancellor (head of government) by members of the Bundestag.
The individual selected by the president is typically the top candidate of the senior coalition partner of a newly-formed government.
A candidate must secure an absolute majority to win the secret ballot vote. After a winner is determined, the new chancellor can begin naming Cabinet nominees.
