Merz claims win for German conservatives

Starting with the German election, the country's conservative opposition has claimed victory, defeating the current Chancellor's center-left Social Democratic Party.

That's right. Germany's conservative Christian Democratic Union, led by Friedrich Merz, has secured victory, positioning him as the next chancellor.

On Sunday, the CDU and its sister party the Christian Social Union won the most votes in Germany's recent federal election. They picked up just under 30% of the votes, according to polling institute Infratest.

Merz, the CDU leader, declared victory and pledged to reduce Germany's reliance on U.S. security, emphasizing a move towards greater independence.

Meanwhile, the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, finished second, with its strongest postwar performance.

The AfD secured about 20% of the vote, reflecting a significant surge attributed to public concerns over migration and economic challenges.

The SPD, led by outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz, experienced its worst postwar result, obtaining around 16.5% of the vote.