The US president has claimed voters there are “tired of the no-common-sense agenda”, calling it “a great day” for the country

US President Donald Trump applauded Germany’s Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) following their federal election win on Sunday, the same day the exit polls results were published.

Exit polls published by public broadcaster ZDF show the CDU/CSU leading with 28.6% of the vote, while Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD) garnered just 16.5% – their worst performance since 1949. 

“Much like the USA, the people of Germany got tired of the no common sense agenda, especially on energy and immigration, that has prevailed for so many years,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Friedrich Merz, head of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), is now on track to be the next chancellor, while the right-wing anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) came in second with its best-ever result, projected results showed.

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Trump went on to call the elections “a great day for Germany” and for the US, adding there will be “more victories to follow.”

The configuration of the future government coalition will depend on which of the small parties ultimately manages to enter the Bundestag. AfD co-leader Alice Weidel called the election outcome “historic,” declaring that AfD is “open to coalition negotiations... otherwise, no real policy change will be possible in Germany.”

However, analysts doubt the CDU/CSU will opt to establish a coalition with AfD, and have predicted that a partnership with SPD remains their most viable path to forming a government. The two parties have shared power four times since WWII, most recently under former Chancellor Angela Merkel. However, it remains uncertain whether Scholz will play a role in any new government. Merz himself earlier ruled out cooperation within the same cabinet.

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Talking to a panel at broadcasters ARD and ZDF after exit polls results, Merz said his top priority was to work towards unity in Europe to counter what he called interference from the US or Russia. “The interventions from Washington were no less dramatic and drastic and ultimately outrageous than the interventions we have seen from Moscow,” he added, referring to US billionaire Elon Musk supporting AfD during the election.

Musk has long criticized Scholz as a “fool” and endorsed Weidel for chancellor, talking to her in a live chat. The billionaire also made a surprise appearance during an AfD election campaign event in Halle in late January, speaking publicly in support of the party.

Citing European intelligence data, The Washington Post claimed Moscow is “making efforts to unite far-left and far-right politicians in Germany who oppose providing aid to Ukraine” back in April 2023. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected the claims, calling them “100% fake.” 

“We have never interfered before, and now we really don't have time for this,” Peskov said.