Germany’s Merz faces narrow path to power after election victory

Germany’s conservative election winner Friedrich Merz faced an uphill struggle to build a coalition government on Monday, a day after an election which saw a record performance by the right.

Merz has warned against more paralysis in Berlin at a time US President Donald Trump is driving head-spinning change, the German economy is in recession, and society is split after a polarising campaign.

In a post on X, Merz insisted Ukraine “must be part of peace negotiations” after Trump unsettled European allies by reaching out to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Europe remains firmly by Ukraine’s side,” Merz said, as European leaders gathered in Kyiv on Monday to mark the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Speaking late on Sunday, his victory dampened by a far-right surge, Merz warned a united Europe must build up its defences as he had “no illusions at all about what is coming out of America”.

Both US Vice-President J.D. Vance and President Donald Trump’s ally Elon Musk have openly supported Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.