German chancellor candidates react to exit polls in Sunday’s election

Germans took to the polls on Sunday to elect their next parliament in an election that’s been dubbed as the most pivotal election in recent decades.

Four candidates were competing for the top chancellor job after the ruling coalition collapsed, triggering a snap election. Olaf Scholz of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) was fighting for re-election where he faced strong opposition in Friedrich Merz of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Alice Weidel of the far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD) and Robert Habeck of the Greens.

In the weeks leading to the election, the CDU – in alliance with its sister Bavarian party the Christian Social Union (CSU) – were the frontrunners, projected to win around 30% of the vote.

Trailing behind in second place were the AfD, who’ve experienced a dramatic surge in popularity recently and were projected to win around 20% of the total vote.

Scholz’s SPD came in third with polls predicting a 16% result for them, and former Vice Chancellor Habeck’s Greens polling at 13%.

Tens of millions of Germans cast their ballots on Sunday in a turnout that exceeded 80% of the nearly 60 million eligible voters.

Early exit polls have indicated that the CDU/CSU union are in the lead to govern with around 28.5% of the votes. The AfD were standing at around 20%, the SPD were at just over 16% – their lowest-ever election result – and the Greens at around 11.5%.

Vote counting is still underway and official results are expected to be announced on Monday, but they aren’t expected to change significantly. This means that Germany is once again headed to a coalition government, as winning an absolute majority has never happened in the country’s modern history.

Here’s how the candidates reacted to early exit results.

Olaf Scholz – SPD

Scholz who led the last coalition government before it collapsed triggering this vote convened with supporters in the German capital, Berlin.

The outgoing German chancellor said he takes full responsibility for his party’s loss.

“This is a bitter election result for the Social Democratic Party. It is also an electoral defeat. I think that needs to be made clear at the outset in view of the result. And it is also very important for me to say that it is a result from which we must move forward together,” said Scholz.

The SPD chancellor candidate also commented on the significant gains of the far-right in the country, expressing concern over what this could mean for the future of the country.

“The fact that an extreme right-wing party like the AfD gets such election results in this country must never be something we will accept. I will not and will never accept this.”

Friedrich Merz – CDU/CSU

The union also held an event in Berlin, but unlike that of the SPD’s, this event was full of cheers and celebrations.

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“We, the CDU and the CSU, the Union, we won this 2025 federal election!,” said Merz as he walked on stage to address supporters.

The CDU leader who’s tasked with forming a coalition to lead a new government thanked supporters for the trust they placed in him and the party and pledged to uphold this trust and advance the country.

“I am aware of the responsibility. I am also aware of the scale of the task that now lies ahead of us. I approach it with the utmost respect, and I know that it will not be easy.”

Merz added that his party will now prioritise speed in forming the next government, highlighting that it’s essential to get things started right away and work on reforming the country.

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“The world out there isn’t waiting for us, and it isn’t waiting for long-drawn-out coalition talks and negotiations.”

“We must now become capable of acting quickly again so that we can do the right thing domestically, so that we are present in Europe again, so that the world sees: Germany is reliably governed again!,” continued Merz.

Alice Weidel – AfD

Far-right AfD leader Alice Weidel was also celebrating in the German capital following her hugely successful election result.

The AfD increased their share of the vote by 10%, doubling their result from the last federal election in 2021.

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“We have doubled our votes, they wanted to cut them in half. The opposite has happened,” said Weidel.

The AfD candidate for chancellor also reiterated her willingness to participate in government despite the “firewall” against extremist parties.

“Our hand will always remain outstretched for participation in government, to implement the will of the people, the will of Germany. We are ready to participate in government,” continued Weidel.

Merz has already stated that he will not include the AfD in coalition considerations arguing that their policies do not represent or align with those of the union.

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Robert Habeck – Greens

The Greens performed below expectation in Sunday’s federal election and both politicians and supporters knew it.

Speaking to supporters, the Greens candidate Robert Habeck acknowledged the poor performance and congratulated Merz on his victory.

He outlined some problems that he views as a major cause for concern for Germany.

“The election result itself is food for thought. Because the rise of right-wing populism, the lack of solidarity among many parties with Ukraine, which is fighting for its freedom, the unresolved relationship of many parties to a real European unity, that worries me, that worries us a lot.”

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Habeck also reiterated his party’s willingness to join a coalition and take responsibility and contribute to the country, a decision that lies with Friedrich Merz, who will be given the mandate to govern once the election results are official.

The CDU/CSU will engage in talks with other parties over the coming days and weeks to form a new coalition and government.

One possible combinations could be the “Kenya” coalition. The Kenya coalition will bring together the red (SPD), black (CDU/CSU) and green (Greens), though experts say this would be a last resort as it is an unpopular alliance.