Pro-Putin party fails to enter Bundestag, easier for Merz to form coalition
Photo: Sahra Wagenknecht did not enter the Bundestag (Getty Images)
Germany has announced the preliminary results of the Bundestag elections held on February 23. The pro-Putin left-populist "Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance" received 4.97% of the votes and did not make it into parliament, according to Germany's federal election authority.
Sahra Wagenknecht has consistently supported Russia's invasion of Ukraine, calling for an end to sanctions and military aid to Ukraine.
Another party, the Free Democrats (FDP), received 4.3%, meaning they will not enter the Bundestag as they failed to pass the 5% threshold.
Excluding these parties from parliament simplifies the formation of the CDU/CSU and SPD coalitions.
The conservative CDU/CSU bloc, led by chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz, won the general election with 28.6% of the vote.
The Social Democrats (SPD) of incumbent chancellor Olaf Scholz secured 16.4% of the vote.
The Greens (Alliance 90/The Greens), SPD’s previous coalition partner, received 11.6%, while the Socialist Left Party gained 8.8%, securing their place in the Bundestag.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) won 20.8% of the vote. Major parties have ruled out cooperation with AfD, which enjoys support from prominent US figures, including billionaire and Trump ally Elon Musk.
Merz's statements
Friedrich Merz, who is set to become Germany’s next chancellor after the conservatives' election victory, has pledged to help make Europe “truly independent” from the United States as he prepares to form a government.
Following his win, Merz harshly criticized the US, condemning Washington’s statements during the campaign as “absolutely outrageous” and comparing them to hostile interference from Russia.
He stated that Germany was under enormous pressure from both sides and that his absolute priority was achieving unity in Europe, which he believed was possible.
Merz also attacked the US despite former President Donald Trump welcoming the election results.
Trump wrote on Truth Social that, just like in the US, the people of Germany were tired of what he called a senseless agenda, particularly in energy and immigration policies, that had prevailed for years.
Merz, previously seen as an Atlanticist, claimed that Trump had demonstrated his administration was largely indifferent to Europe’s fate.
He emphasized that his absolute priority would be strengthening Europe as quickly as possible so that it could, step by step, achieve real independence from the US.
He also raised the question of whether the next NATO summit - which has ensured Europe’s security for decades - would still feature NATO in its current form.
The snap elections on February 23 were held after Chancellor Scholz’s coalition of the SPD, Greens, and pro-market Free Democratic Party collapsed in November over budget disagreements. Voter turnout of 83% was the highest since reunification in 1990.
