Bundestag election: This is how German media comment on the election result

Change of government in Germany: The Union with its candidate for chancellor Friedrich Merz clearly won the Bundestag election. The CDU boss announced a quick government formation-it is still unclear, with whom. Chancellor Olaf Scholz admitted the defeat of his SPD. It is still behind the AfD, which doubles its result. Fourth place follow the Greens after the projections of ARD and ZDF. The left skips the five percent hurdle and is again represented in the Bundestag. FDP and the Sahra Wagenknecht alliance (BSW), on the other hand, have to worry about moving into parliament. FDP boss Christian Lindner announced that he wanted to leave politics if his party should remain less than five percent.

Friedrich Merz is the logical and expected winner of this choice. According to the first figures, a result below the 30 percent gives the Union parties-and thus the government mandate. Nevertheless, this is not a brand to draw the scope for real change. CDU and CSU have to be disappointed, because the upcoming Chancellor is forced to juggle mental juggling – a lot speaks for this after the polling stations are closed. Black and yellow is out of reach, black and red is very questionable, three allies are still very conceivable.

The will to voters – even if he doesn’t like you – must not be wrong. Almost 50 percent of voters voted with the Union and AfD for liberal conservatives to extremely right positions. Means: The change of politics in migration and business must come! Otherwise – like the FPÖ in Austria – the AfD may be the strongest party at the next election.

With the AfD there is no democratic state. (…) AfD and Union stand together in the central questions of interior and foreign policy. The traffic lights had their chance to design the country according to their ideas, but failed. In particular, those who are willing should not forget to go to a coalition with the Union. The Germans voted for a change of course, especially in migration and economic policy. Merz will have to make compromises in every conceivable alliance and thus compromises from their own program. But even near the “Next”, the next government must not come. That would further strengthen the AfD. The warning shot couldn’t have been louder in this election.

If the published forecasts are largely confirmed on the election evening, it makes one thing above all that makes it clear: no party was able to gain new voters with their arguments – apart from the left.

The CDU wins, but it cannot be completely satisfied with the result. Chancellor candidate Merz can only benefit little from the unpopularity of the burst traffic lights. But that’s not the point, but about a quick government formation with clear course corrections. And it will be difficult enough if the CDU should need two coalition partners.

In the end, despite the unclear conditions, only one thing counts: Germany now has to wake up from the shock, finally be made fit for the future and throw all bureaucracy conditions overboard so that the economy gets going again. And these are challenges enough for the new government.

The expectations of the upcoming Chancellor, who is likely to be called Friedrich Merz, are high skyscrapers. Far too much has remained in the past, which is why it is currently so difficult. And there will be hard years of probation in the Chancellery, because the election winner and his future coalition are forced to master all the many inexperienced tasks. If this goes wrong, Monday would become unbearable on Monday after the next federal election. The success of Friedrich Merz is without an alternative for Germany, because one can be certain that the enemies of democracy lurk from now on in the forecourt of power on its failure. For this reason alone, you should wish him the best of luck. He can need it.

Friedrich Merz will only keep the AfD in chess if it is now reconciling, mediating and prudent to the actors of the political center. Finally, he insulted her as “left -wing spinner”. A clever tactics against the further division of the company cannot be derived from this.

The way to each other – in whatever constellation – will be a big leap over their own shadow for everyone involved. There is no other choice. The political center, as long as there is still it, must pull itself together, to put together, to form a large joint policy draft, which reforms the country and protects against radical forces at home and abroad. Maybe it will be your last chance.

The new government under Friedrich Merz is to be desired. Because each of the three huge problems that she now has to solve has what it takes to overwhelm a coalition: the defusing of the time bomb asylum, the saving of the economy and, above all, the defense of Europe. After the outrageous raid that the duo Putin/Trump leads against Ukraine to steal its country and its mineral resources, you can see in Germany in the EU capitals. Despite the crime novel that the Germans have chosen together: Europe’s most important country in the largest geopolitical crisis has not been able to afford an endless hanging area for decades. The government must stand by Easter. Until then, an emergency cabinet, with the participation of Merz, should ensure that Berlin remains able to act at all times. The story is not waiting for Germany.

CDU and CSU have asserted themselves in a strength that no one would have bet on two years ago. Top candidate Friedrich Merz has a problem with women, was one of the funniest phrases with whom the upcoming Chancellor was discredited. It was foreseeable that no candidate in the current Bundestag election would receive more votes from women than him, and so it came – the annoyance of those who clung to every straw in their bladder. Merz deserves his election victory. Nobody made it easy for him, the political opponent was not, the media not, not internal rivals, right down to his predecessor Angela Merkel. Now Merz crowns his career, the bitter setbacks and hard attacks.

The election result is a blessing and curse at the same time. The new Merz government has won with a solid foundation, but is now obliged to not only change a change of party, but also to change a change of policy that also deserves this name.

The voter, who has now disappointed for the second time in a row and with the desire for a different policy, has still exercised reason with all displeasure and equipped the parties of the democratic center with a government mandate. Let’s not do anything: it’s the last chance. At the next government, enormous responsibility is not to gamble this last chance. Neither through brasses nor by petty bickering. Health, care, pension, taxes, reduction in bureaucracy, education, infrastructure and yes, also the climate protection, which is fortified in the election campaign, demand determined action. None of this may be postponed or even half -heartedly addressed. And last but not least, the new government must also be an important in the sense of the European cause. No matter which parties are trying to form a government from tomorrow, they should be aware of this high responsibility together.

If it did not know the SPD, Greens and FDP, you know now: After three and a half disappointing years, millions of voters had enough of the self -proclaimed “progress coalitioners”. All three traffic light partners were crashed. And that had a lot to do with the way of doing the red, green and yellow: mostly in the dispute. In addition, there was a mixture of the erratic appearance of the Chancellor, the instructive type of the Greens and the many nicknities of the liberals. None of these parties were basically enduring. Actually a steep template for the Union, which remained under its possibilities on Sunday. The “last remaining People’s Party” in the Bundestag fails again on the 30 percent mark. It was not enough for a correct change mood. However, it was already enough for the move to the Chancellery.

Friedrich Merz is now facing a difficult challenge. Equipped with a mandate that is weaker than hoped for, with the second worst result that the Union has ever achieved in a federal election, he has to form a strong alliance. He has to form a sustainable coalition that is responsible for the country through party interests; And their leading heads really find similarities instead of just proclaiming them into selfies. Only with a craftsmanship, which has ended the recession that has been going on for two years and gives the country confidence, that trust in democracy that has lost too many citizens can be regained. On the other hand, the Merz government also sinks into the dispute, the right-wing populists will mainly benefit from the AfD.

This election result is one that will have more consequences, yes, than the formation of a new government. Friedrich Merz faces this challenge. The next few weeks will show how – maybe even whether – he can become a chancellor. The formation of government, as difficult as it will become, is the last chance for the parties in the middle of shaping this country, to convey a future under the roof of Europe, which is currently lit by Putin and Trump on both sides. The challenges are clear: a more dynamic economic policy, consistent control of migration, but not least also secure living conditions in the country and in the cities, the bar will make up. This requires a new understanding and a better style than the traffic light was able to do. Even if the differences in the coalitioners will be great – this does not succeed, the political map will be as blue as it is in the east.

For good historical reasons, the Germans have a fear of the participation in power of a partial right -wing party. But the fire wall will not hold the forecast for the next four years. If the fire wall remains, the AfD could grow in the next election towards 30 percent.