DON GONYEA, HOST:
Early projections of Germany's national election show that Friedrich Merz, the candidate for the center-right Christian Democrats, is poised to become the country's next chancellor. His conservative block emerged as the biggest vote-getter, nearly 10% ahead of the far-right Alternative for Germany party. NPR's Berlin correspondent, Rob Schmitz, joins us now to discuss the results. Hi, Rob.
ROB SCHMITZ, BYLINE: Hey, Don.
GONYEA: So, Rob, what was the issue that turned this election?
SCHMITZ: Germany has no shortage of issues, but this year, the economy was probably the biggest one. Germany's economy has been struggling for years, and Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government collapsed over an argument about how to revive it.
GONYEA: So Olaf Scholz is likely on his way out, making way for the new chancellor. Will Merz be able to quickly form a new government?
SCHMITZ: He would love to, but it's too early to tell who he needs to talk to in order to make that happen. German parliamentary elections are sort of a numbers game. And the next step for Merz hinges on whether a couple of parties that, according to exit polls, receive just under 5% of the vote stay under that number. A party needs 5% in order to serve in the German parliament, and if the exit polls stay firm, then Merz will likely only need to enter into coalition talks with one other party, and that's Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats. Here's what Merz said this evening about upcoming coalition talks.
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FRIEDRICH MERZ: (Speaking German).
SCHMITZ: And, Don, he's saying here that the world is not waiting for Germany, and it does not have time for lengthy coalition negotiations. Merz said, "we have to start governing as soon as possible so that Germany can do the right thing, both in Europe and in Germany."
GONYEA: The party that came in second place is the far-right Alternative for Germany party. It's a party that Elon Musk has been championing. Are they being considered to serve in some capacity in Germany's next government?
SCHMITZ: Most likely not. All of Germany's mainstream parties have vowed not to govern with this party, known by its acronym in German, the AfD. This is a party that is under domestic surveillance due to the threat it poses to Germany's democracy, and its members routinely trivialize Germany's atrocities in World War II. But the co-leader of the AfD, Alice Weidel, is still holding out hope. Here's what she said this evening.
ALICE WEIDEL: (Speaking German).
SCHMITZ: She's saying here that the AfD is extending its hand to Merz's CDU party to, what she says, honor the will of the people, and that she is open to coalition negotiations, and all the CDU has to do is take our hand. But it is clear that the AfD's hand might be dangling there for some time because Merz has promised he will not govern with them.
GONYEA: So what kind of chancellor will Merz be?
SCHMITZ: Well, unlike outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz, it's clear that Merz is more interested in bringing Europe together to build a stronger force that can stand up to Russia. Scholz has for years been criticized for not doing enough in this realm, and Merz believes in a strong Europe. He believes in free markets. He's a former board member of the German branch of BlackRock, the largest asset management company in the world, and he wants to make it easier for businesses to deal with Germany's bureaucracy.
GONYEA: Any idea how he'll deal with President Trump?
SCHMITZ: He'll be diplomatic, but firm. I think he's going to fight to have Germany be at the table when it comes to talks with Russia and Ukraine. I think he'll have a stronger relationship with Europe's other big power, France, especially when it comes to making sure that Russian President Vladimir Putin is kept in check. But the key to all of this is how quickly he can form a government, because in the past, it takes months. And with the way the world is changing now, Germany does not have months.
GONYEA: That's NPR Berlin correspondent Rob Schmitz. Thank you, Rob.
SCHMITZ: Thank you.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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