Germany is facing a difficult time forming a government. Although CDU chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz is the clear winner of the election, he clearly missed his self-imposed target of more than 30 percent of the vote. As the Sahra Wagenknecht alliance (BSW) could still make it into the Bundestag, the CDU leader may now need the SPD and Greens as coalition partners in order to form a majority. The FDP fell well short of the five percent threshold, and party leader Christian Lindner subsequently announced his retirement from politics.
Merz now faces difficult negotiations: The CDU leader must discuss cooperation with two left-wing parties and try to push through the promised change of direction in economic and migration policy. AfD leader Alice Weidel has already predicted that the new government will be unstable and will not last four years. During this time, her party wants to overtake the CDU/CSU.
Merz announced that he wanted to form a government in the eight weeks until Easter. It will be more difficult with two partners than with one, but it must succeed in any case. "The world out there is not waiting for us," he warned. Germany must once again assume a leading role in Europe.
The pressure on the potential coalition partners will be enormous, as the formation of a government will take place during the weeks in which the Europeans have to find an answer to US President Donald Trump's Ukraine policy. Olaf Scholz will still travel to the special EU summit on March 6 as acting Federal Chancellor, and probably also to the regular European Council on March 20. However, the outgoing chancellor has promised to involve his likely successor in the talks.
In the evening, Merz emphatically emphasized the scale of the task. This US administration appears to be largely indifferent to the fate of Europe, said the 69-year-old, who is actually a staunch transatlanticist. This is why the independent European defense capability has "top priority." He was in close contact with many EU heads of state and government, and the unity of the Europeans was now of the utmost importance.
The CDU leader described the recent statements by Vice President J.D. Vance and Trump confidant Elon Musk in favor of the AfD as "outrageous." Cooperation with the party is "completely out of the question" for him, Merz emphasized. "We are not seeking our freedom and peace on Putin's lap."
In the evening, Trump congratulated the "conservative party" in Germany on its election victory.
Merz was conciliatory towards the Social Democrats and the Greens on election night. During the election campaign, he had polarized sharply, most recently speaking of "green and left-wing nutcases" during an appearance in Munich – and turning many people against him there. His choice of words was only directed against Antifa demonstrators, Merz reassured yesterday.
The Social Democrats, on the other hand, must first reorganize themselves after the historically poor election result. Scholz will not become a minister in a new government. Party leader Lars Klingbeil announced a "generational change." In addition to Scholz, parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich will not stand in the way of this. According to information available to Table.Briefings, Mützenich and Klingbeil have agreed on this.
During the election campaign, CSU leader Markus Söder in particular had stirred up a mood against the Greens. However, Merz agrees with their candidate for chancellor, Robert Habeck, at least in his analysis of the security policy challenge. Europe must quickly find its own strength, otherwise "we will fail historically," warned Habeck.
Habeck called for these issues to be brought to the forefront of the exploratory talks and for a quick agreement to be reached. Catching up will require "vast sums of money." However, the reform of the debt brake would require a two-thirds majority in the Bundestag, which is unlikely to be achieved given the performance of the AfD, the Left and the BSW.
The other EU states will be keeping a close eye on Merz's efforts to form a government. "The whole of Europe is waiting for stability from Germany," said EPP leader Manfred Weber. "A hanging game for months, where people bury themselves in the details of coalitions and coalition agreements, harms European interests, harms German interests," said the CSU politician.
BDI President Peter Leibinger appealed to the centrist parties, who are now called upon to act: "Forming a government quickly can send an important signal of change to the economy and society." There is no time for tactical games and formulaic compromises, Germany needs a bold growth program.
The leader of the right-wing populist FPÖ in Austria, Herbert Kickl, congratulated the AfD on its good election result. "As of today, there is a huge hole in the firewall of the united parties, which is in reality a wall of fear of the will of the people and of democratic change," explained Kickl. With Stefan Braun, Horand Knaup
