Live updates: Germany votes in an election that could shape Europe’s response to Trump

[mountaineer]

Seriously, AP? The German election is about Trump and not, say, Deutschland? And again with the value-laden term  "far-right."

Live updates: Germany votes in an election that could shape Europe’s response to Trump
 By  The Associated Press
Updated 8:43 AM EST, February 23, 2025

German voters are heading to the polls for a national election that pits the incumbent chancellor against the opposition leader, the vice chancellor and — for the first time — a leader of a far-right party.

Here’s what to know:

    What happens on election day? Polling stations open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (0700 GMT-1700 GMT). Germans can also vote by postal ballot, but their ballot must arrive by the time polling stations close on election day to be counted.

    When will we know the winner? Vote-counting will begin immediately after voting ends, and the general picture of the outcome should be clear very quickly thanks to exit polls. A final official result is expected early Monday.

    Who are the contenders? Four candidates are running to be Germany’s next leader: incumbent Chancellor Olaf Scholz, of the center-left Social Democrats; Friedrich Merz of the mainstream conservative Christian Democratic Union party; current Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, of the environmentalist Greens; and Alice Weidel, of the far-right, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany, or AfD. ...

https://apnews.com/live/germany-election-updates-parliament

[mountaineer]

Update NEWS
@UpdateNews724
🚨🇩🇪BREAKING NEWS:  It is claimed that voter turnout in Germany has increased by 15% so far compared to the last federal election in 2021.
11:23 AM · Feb 23, 2025

[mystery-ak]

German Election Exit Polls: Former Merkel Party Regains Top Spot, Populist AfD Surges to Strong Second Place, and Leftist Social Democrats Collapse

The exit polls for the federal elections in Germany predict that the neo-liberal Christian Democrats have come out on top, with the support of around one in three voters, with the populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) coming in a strong second place at nearly 20 per cent, beating out all members of the former ‘traffic light’ coalition government of likely outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

According to public broadcaster Deutsche Welle, exit polls indicate that the supposedly centre-right “Union” of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU) will become the largest party in Germany once again, with a projected 29 per cent of the vote.

Should the projections hold, the party, led by Angela Merkel’s successor Friedrich Merz, will be in line to form a government in the Bundestag, with Merz being the likely next chancellor of the country. However, according to DW correspondent Michaela Küfner “nobody was ecstatic” among the CDU, noting that the party is projected to have failed to reach the “psychologically important” threshold of 30 per cent.

The exit polls went on to show that the populist anti-mass migration Alternative for Germany (AfD) has massively increased its representation, securing a projected 19.5 per cent of the vote, up from 12.6 per cent in the last election in 2021.

Following the strong showing for her party, AfD chancellor candidate Alice Weidel branded it a “historic success”. She said that her party is “open to coalition negotiations with the CDU,” warning that “otherwise, no policy change is possible in Germany.”

Meanwhile, the support for the former government leading Social Democrats of leftist Chancellor Olaf Scholz collapsed, falling from nearly 26 per cent in 2021 to a projected 16 per cent on Sunday. Government coalition partner, the Greens, also saw their support decline according to the exit polls, from 14.7 per cent to 13.5 per cent.

SPD General Secretary Matthias Miersch said that it was a “very bitter evening” admitting that it was a “historic defeat” for his party, adding that “it is clear that the government mandate to Friedrich Merz now exists.”

https://twitter.com/joshdcaplan/status/1893708616084906340

more
https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2025/02/23/german-election-exit-polls-former-merkel-party-regains-top-spot-populist-afd-surges-to-strong-second-place-finish/

[dfwgator]

So basically Merkel, or should I call him Merz-kel is back.


Germany is so screwed.

[MeganC]

If AfD joins the government it will then be center right. 'Far right' simply won't apply.

By the way, who is the far left party? 

[dfwgator]

If AfD joins the government it will then be center right. 'Far right' simply won't apply.

By the way, who is the far left party? 

All of them.  It's Germany.

[mountaineer]

Bernie
@Artemisfornow
GERMANY - The Globalists win again.

New chancellor Friedrich Merz is their perfect pick.

▪️Ex Chairman of Blackrock Germany
▪️Dedicated to deeper EU integration
▪️member of the WEF’s Board of Trustees
▪️ regular atendee WEF in Davos
▪️attended Bilderberg Group meetings
▪️supported Covid vaccine passports
▪️Wanted restrictions on unvaccinated
▪️advocated for digital ID in Germany
▪️supported EU-wide asylum policies
▪️supports carbon trading markets

The penetration of the cabinets continues. You cannot help the people if the people will not help themselves.

Good luck Germany.
2:46 AM · Feb 24, 2025

[cato potatoe]

So basically Merkel, or should I call him Merz-kel is back.


Germany is so screwed.

Yes.  His party is going to form a grand coalition with the socialists, rather than cooperate with AfD, who dominated east Germany and bested the socialists by several points overall. 

The Moderate (snob) party in Sweden pulled this trick until 2022, when the “far right” party got more votes than they.  It came down to forming a narrow majority with Sweden Democrats, or help the socialists destroy the country.  Even then it was a close call for the PM, and fortunately he made the right decision. 

[mystery-ak]

Likely German Chancellor Rejects Trump, Accuses U.S. of Russian-Style Election Interference, Calls for ‘Independence’ From America

Kurt Zindulka 24 Feb 2025

Following his party’s victory in federal elections on Sunday, Friedrich Merz, the likely next Chancellor of Germany, rejected overtures from President Donald Trump while calling for “independence” from the United States and accusing Washington of election interference.

On Sunday, German voters firmly rejected the former leftist governing coalition of Social Democrats and Greens in favour of the supposedly conservative Christian Democrats and the populist-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).

In response to the election results, President Donald Trump commented on his Truth Social platform: “Looks like the conservative party in Germany has won the very big and highly anticipated election. Much like the USA, the people of Germany got tired of the no common sense agenda, especially on energy and immigration, that has prevailed for so many years.”

“This is a great day for Germany, and for the United States of America under the leadership of a gentleman named Donald J. Trump. Congratulations to all — many more victories to follow!!!” Trump added.

However, the successor to Angela Merkel and likely incoming chancellor Friedrich Merz, whose party came first in Sunday’s vote but fell well short of a majority with just 28.5 per cent of the vote, was quick to reject a right-wing alliance with the AfD in favour of a left-wing coalition and to distance himself from Trump and America in general.

“I am communicating closely with a lot of prime ministers and heads of EU states, and for me, it is an absolute priority to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that we achieve independence from the U.S., step by step,” Merz said per state broadcaster DW.

more
https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2025/02/24/likely-german-chancellor-rejects-trump-accuses-u-s-of-russian-style-election-interference-calls-for-independence-from-america/

[Wingnut]

He goes by “Frederick” now in a desperate attempt to distance himself from his oddball ancestors.

[Gefn]

bkmk

[corbe]

  You'd think they love him.

Donald Trump Family Tree


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW2_FZlscdE

[jafo2010]

Video on Trump family was very informative.

[jafo2010]

I think President Trump should be even tougher with the new leader of Germany than he was on Zelensky.

For how many years has Germany been skating on their obligation to fund NATO?  Last I read, they were only paying 50% of what their share was.

I say Trump should tell Merz to pay up all the money due for the X number of years Germany has failed to comply, or we, the USA, pull our forces out of Germany and move to Poland and/or the Baltic states.  Take a huge, big, beautiful stick to the new leader of Germany.  Enough is enough.  The clowns in Germany need to belly up to the table in their big boy pants and shoulder the responsibility that they have abdicated for so long.