German opposition leader Friedrich Merz’s conservatives were on course for a lacklustre victory in a national election Sunday, while Alternative for Germany nearly doubled its support, the strongest showing for a far-right party since the Second World War, projections showed.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz conceded defeat for his centre-left Social Democrats after what he called “a bitter election result.” Projections for broadcasters ARD and ZDF showed his party finishing in third place, in its worst postwar result in a national parliamentary election.
It wasn’t immediately clear how easy it will be for Merz to put together a coalition government.
The election took place seven months earlier than originally planned after Scholz’s unpopular coalition collapsed in November, three years into a term that was increasingly marred by infighting. There was widespread discontent and not much enthusiasm for any of the candidates.
The projections, based on exit polls and partial counting, put support …