Germany’s national election today, unfolded as a defining moment, with exit polls showing Friedrich Merz’s CDU/CSU bloc edging out Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s struggling SPD coalition. The far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) grabbed attention with projected gains near 20%, boosted by a deadly Berlin stabbing by a Syrian refugee the day prior. The incident inflamed debates over immigration, particularly in eastern states where economic discontent festers. This vote, one of Germany’s most significant in decades, pitted its postwar liberal values against a populist surge echoing across Europe.

Merz’s probable chancellorship, likely with Green or FDP backing, aims for continuity, but the AfD’s rise muddies the picture. Deemed a democratic risk by rivals for its nationalist bent and extremist links, the party’s leaders vowed to curb EU influence and tighten borders. Mainstream parties held firm against coalition talks, yet AfD’s parliamentary weight could stall laws or amplify its platform. The Berlin attack, though a lone event, tapped into fears reminiscent of 2015’s refugee influx. As votes tallied, Germany confronted a split mandate: Merz must steer a nation questioning its identity, while the far right’s growing clout signals a volatile future.