The German election has paved way for Friedrich Merz and the CDU/CSU to form Government after a record result for right-wing parties.
Mr Merz’s party soared ahead of rivals, reaching 28.52% of the vote, but didn’t quite make it to the 30% they had expected.
“Let’s celebrate tonight and in the morning we’ll get to work,” he told cheering supporters.
The BBC reports his immediate priority is to try to form a government with the third-placed Social Democratic Party of Germany – led by Olaf Scholz – who garnered 16.41% of the national vote.
But the election result has alarmed a number of Germans, as well as immigrants, with far right-wing party AfD (Alternative für Deutschland) recording a record-high vote-share of 20.8%.
The party, led by Alice Weidel, advocated for stricter anti-immigration policies and pledged to implement “large-scale repatriations” (or “remigration”) of immigrants. The parties stands firmly in the belief that blood-based citizenship needs to return, which would mean citizenship can only be determined by ancestry and bloodline rather than birthright.
Alarmingly the party also reportedly upholds the white, nuclear family as an ideal.
With data confirming the party would hold 152 seats in the upcoming Bundestag, some are worried about the trajectory of German politics.
Zeeham Shalaby – an immigrant who calls Germany home – spoke to the ABC about the uncertainty the AfD’s surge in popularity brings.
“I don’t want to stay in a place where I’m not sure if I would get a visa after two years or not, so we decided to come here. I’m pretty scared. Just the thought of starting over somewhere else, it’s basically like I’m throwing my whole past away,” she said.
