President Donald Trump praised conservative opposition leader Friedrich Merz's victory to become Germany's next chancellor. (AP)
The snap election came as the European nation grapples with illegal immigration and a souring economy. CDU leader Merz is expected to take a harder line than Scholz on immigration, though not as much as AfD supporters have called for.
Merz, whose party got about 29% of the vote, must form a coalition with one or more of the other parties, but has said he will not do so with AfD.
ECONOMY, IMMIGRATION, ELON MUSK AT CENTER OF GERMAN ELECTION; CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATE FAVORED TO WIN
Friedrich Merz, leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), casts his vote at a polling station Arnsberg-Niedereimer, Germany, on Feb. 23, 2025, during the national election. (Oliver Berg/dpa via AP)
Merz has said he will execute a 15-point plan to tackle immigration, including tightening the borders and deporting rejected asylum seekers. AfD wants to deport migrants en masse.
While the AfD may be frozen out of the incoming coalition, it doubled its vote total from the last election.
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Endorsed by Trump and Elon Musk, and led by Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, the party believes it has built momentum for the next election, expected in 2029.
Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-celebrates-conservative-party-win-germany