Friedrich Merz has vowed to prioritize European unity and the continent's security as it grapples with the new Trump administration and Russia's war on Ukraine​.

The Christian Democrat, who appeared to have a path to a stable governing coalition, hopes to lead Europe’s response to President Trump’s reshuffling of alliances.

German opposition leader Friedrich Merz’s conservatives have won a lackluster victory in a national election Sunday, projections show

The Christian Democrats won with 28.6% of the vote while the far-right Alternative for Germany came second with 20.8%.

Alternative for Germany surged to the best showing by a far-right party since World War II in Sunday's national election and became the strongest political force in

A far-right party could hold the balance of power in Germany after sweeping to second place in a historic election. Exit polls, issued after voting ended, suggest AfD (Alternative for Germany) – a party under intelligence service surveillance as a suspected extremist organisation – has won around 20% of the vote.