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Germany is set for a major political shift as the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has emerged as the winner of the national election.

Some shit you should know before you read: If you’re unaware, Germany’s political landscape is shaped by various major parties, including the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), the environmentalist Greens, the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP), and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). Until recently, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of the SPD led a coalition government with the Greens and FDP, but mounting economic challenges, including soaring energy prices due to sanctions on Russia amidst the ongoing Ukraine war, contributed to the coalition’s collapse. These economic pressures, combined with growing concerns over illegal migration, have fueled support for right-leaning parties, particularly the CDU and the nationalist AfD, which has capitalized on public discontent to secure its strongest electoral result since its founding.

What’s going on now: According to the latest election results, Germany’s conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), led by Friedrich Merz, secured approximately 28.5% of the vote and emerged as the largest party but fell short of an outright majority. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) surged to around 19.5%, doubling its support compared to the previous election, while the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) suffered a historic defeat. Celebrating his party’s victory, Merz declared, “Tonight we will celebrate and from tomorrow we start working,” stressing the urgency of forming a “solid government” to address Germany’s challenges. However, without a majority, Merz faces the complex task of coalition building, likely needing to negotiate with either the SPD or the Greens to form a stable government, a process he aims to complete by Easter.

Despite both being on the right, significant differences exist between the CDU and the AfD, particularly on foreign policy, European integration, and security issues. Merz has repeatedly ruled out cooperating with the AfD, stating, “We have fundamentally different views… You want the opposite of what we want, so there will be no cooperation.”

This all comes as Merz has said he is committed to strengthening Europe with independence from the United States. Since President Trump took office, Merz argued that some of Trump’s actions have revealed a growing indifference toward Europe’s security and political stability, prompting the need for a more self-reliant European Union. Merz stated, “My absolute priority will be to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that, step by step, we can really achieve independence from the USA.”