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German Elections 2017: Angela Merkel Wins Fourth Term

Published

7 years ago

September 24, 2017

The result of Germany’s 2017 election is out, and Chancellor Angela Merkel just won a fourth term in office. However, she will have to build an uneasy coalition to form a government after her conservatives hemorrhaged support in the face of a surge by the far-right.

The anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) stunned the establishment by winning 13.1% of the vote, projected results showed, a result that will bring a far-right party into parliament for the first time in more than half a century.

Merkel’s conservative bloc emerged as the largest parliamentary party but, with just 33.2% of the vote, saw its support slump to the lowest since 1949 — the first time national elections were held in post-war Germany.

Her main Social Democrat rivals also received their worst result since the 1940s — just 20.8% — after nearly half of voters repudiated the two parties that have dominated Germany since World War Two.