Polling stations in Germany opened today for the election of 630 members of the Bundestag, with projections indicating that no single party will secure enough seats to govern alone.
According to the latest polls, the opposition Christian Democrats (CDU) and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) are leading, while Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) ranks third.
Four candidates are in the race for the chancellorship: incumbent Olaf Scholz (SPD), Friedrich Merz (CDU), Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck (Greens), and Alice Weidel (AfD). Given Germany’s proportional representation system, coalition governments are the norm, and this election is expected to follow suit.
The snap elections were called seven months earlier than scheduled after Scholz’s three-party coalition collapsed in November. The vote comes at a critical time, with Germany navigating challenges such as the new U.S. administration under Donald Trump, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and security concerns across Europe.
Polling stations will remain open until 18:00 CET, with preliminary exit polls expected shortly after. More than 59 million Germans are eligible to vote, including over three million citizens abroad, who faced logistical challenges due to tight deadlines. The final election results are expected early Monday morning.
