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Christian Democrats win the German election amid far-right surge
Friedrich Merz (centre) leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), receives flowers and applause from board members Julia Kloeckner (left), Christina Stumpp (second from left), Carsten Linnemann (second from right), and Silvia Breher (right), at the CDU's headquarters, in Berlin, Germany, February 24, 2025

THE right-wing Christian Democrat Union (CDU) led by Friedrich Merz came first in Sunday’s national election in Germany.

The far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) surged to become the nation’s second-largest.

The CDU won 208 seats in the 630-seat Bundestag, while the AfD won 152. 

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