Germany's conservative leader Friedrich Merz, poised to become the new chancellor after his conservative bloc won most votes in the parliamentary election, said he would try to form a government that represents the whole country.
Merz repeated that there would not be a coalition with the far-right AfD party.
Merz's CDU/CSU bloc won first place with 28.5% of the vote, followed by the Alternative for Germany (AfD) with 20%, a record for the far-right party, the public broadcaster ZDF reported.
Scholz's center-left SPD garnered 16.5% of the vote, its worst-ever result, the projection showed.
Congratulations to @_FriedrichMerz and @CDU/@CSU on their clear election victory today. Looking forward to working closely with your upcoming government to further strengthen the partnership between our two countries.
— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) February 23, 2025
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Merz and the CDU/CSU bloc on their projected election victory on his personal X/Twitter on Sunday evening.
"Looking forward to working closely with your upcoming government to further strengthen the partnership between our two countries," Netanyahu added.
I congratulate @_FriedrichMerz for his victory in the elections in Germany. I am convinced that, as a friend of Israel, you will strengthen and deepen the relationship between the people of Germany and the people of Israel.We look forward to your first visit in Jerusalem as… pic.twitter.com/izfbJaaXrQ
— Gideon Sa'ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) February 23, 2025
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar congratulated Friedrich Merz on his slated election victory, and affirmed his belief that "you will strengthen and deepen the relationship between the people of Germany and the people of Israel."
"We look forward to your first visit in Jerusalem as Chancellor," Sa'ar added.
US President Donald Trump posted a congratulations message on TruthSocial on Sunday evening.
Current Foreign Minister statement
The current German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said a strong Europe and a strong government were needed after the far-right AfD doubled its share of votes in Germany's snap election on Sunday, according to projections by major broadcasters.
Baerbock, a prominent member of the Greens, added that democratic parties must now act in unison.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he would not take part in coalition negotiations on Sunday with the conservative bloc if Friedrich Merz invited the Social Democrats.
"I will not be a SPD representative in a federal government led by the CDU, nor will I negotiate it," said Scholz in a post-election panel discussion aired by public broadcasters.