More than 82% of German voters went to the poll this Sunday, the largest turnout in almost 40 years. The results show traditional parties losing votes to far-right and far-left ones. The conservative center-right CDU was declared the winner of this snap elections and its leader, Friedrich Merz, is poised to become the country’s next chancellor.

Joining the discussion:

• Ulrich Bruckner is a Jean Monnet Professor for European Studies at Stanford University in Berlin.
• Klaus Larres is Distinguished Professor of History and International Affairs, at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and Global Fellow at the Wilson Center. 
• Werner Patzelt is Research Director at the educational institution and research center MCC Brussels. 
• Klisman Murati is the founder of Pareto Economics.

Friedrich Merz is on track to be the next chancellor of Germany after the conservative alliance he heads emerged as the largest grouping in the next Bundestag. Read more about the German elections.https://t.co/gJnI0bUoaw

— CGTN America (@cgtnamerica) February 24, 2025