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| German elections: Far-right wins MPs for first time in half a century | German elections: Far-right wins MPs for first time in half a century |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A far-right party has won seats in the German parliament for the first time in half a century, in an election that saw Angela Merkel returned as chancellor for the fourth contest straight. | A far-right party has won seats in the German parliament for the first time in half a century, in an election that saw Angela Merkel returned as chancellor for the fourth contest straight. |
| Official exit polls show the anti-Muslim and anti-immigration AfD winning 13.5 per cent of the vote – at the higher end of what surveys had suggested it might win. | Official exit polls show the anti-Muslim and anti-immigration AfD winning 13.5 per cent of the vote – at the higher end of what surveys had suggested it might win. |
| Meanwhile, the centre-left SPD – the current coalition partners of Ms Merkel's CDU and a titan of German politics for 150 years – appears to have hit a historic low of just 20 per cent, its worst showing since the Second World War. | Meanwhile, the centre-left SPD – the current coalition partners of Ms Merkel's CDU and a titan of German politics for 150 years – appears to have hit a historic low of just 20 per cent, its worst showing since the Second World War. |
| Small parties in general did well in the election and were all up on the 2013 election, with the the liberal FDP re-entering the Bundestag with 10.5 per cent of the vote, the Greens on 9.5 per cent, and the left-wing Die Linke on 9 per cent. Turnout and voter participation also appears to have climbed since the previous election, which was held in 2013. | Small parties in general did well in the election and were all up on the 2013 election, with the the liberal FDP re-entering the Bundestag with 10.5 per cent of the vote, the Greens on 9.5 per cent, and the left-wing Die Linke on 9 per cent. Turnout and voter participation also appears to have climbed since the previous election, which was held in 2013. |
| SPD leader Martin Schulz immediately ruled out going back into coalition with Ms Merkel, leaving the Chancellor likely to go into coalition with the liberals and the Greens – the so called "Jamaica Coalition" because the colour of the parties matches the countries' flags. | SPD leader Martin Schulz immediately ruled out going back into coalition with Ms Merkel, leaving the Chancellor likely to go into coalition with the liberals and the Greens – the so called "Jamaica Coalition" because the colour of the parties matches the countries' flags. |
| Such a coalition has not been formed at German national level before – though it does sometimes occur in Germany's state parliaments. | Such a coalition has not been formed at German national level before – though it does sometimes occur in Germany's state parliaments. |
| Ms Merkel could alternatively try to form a minority government if she is unable to secure the formal backing of other parties – with coalition negotiations expected to take weeks or even months. | Ms Merkel could alternatively try to form a minority government if she is unable to secure the formal backing of other parties – with coalition negotiations expected to take weeks or even months. |
| The result is a huge blow for Mr Schulz, a former president of the European Parliament who became SPD leader earlier this year and once hoped to unseat Ms Merkel from the Bundeskanzleramt. | The result is a huge blow for Mr Schulz, a former president of the European Parliament who became SPD leader earlier this year and once hoped to unseat Ms Merkel from the Bundeskanzleramt. |
| Speaking after exit polls were released, Ms Schulz attacked "right-wing extremism" of the AfD and told supporters assembled in Berlin: "What is depressing for us tonight is the result of the AfD. | Speaking after exit polls were released, Ms Schulz attacked "right-wing extremism" of the AfD and told supporters assembled in Berlin: "What is depressing for us tonight is the result of the AfD. |
| "For the first time with them there will be far right representation in the Bundestag." | "For the first time with them there will be far right representation in the Bundestag." |
| One of the largest cheers of the night from Mr Schulz's address was his announcement that he would drop the coalition with Ms Merkel – a pact that has cause rifts within the SPD. Mr Schulz himself did not serve as a minister in the government, he says, because he wanted to replace Ms Merkel as chancellor. | One of the largest cheers of the night from Mr Schulz's address was his announcement that he would drop the coalition with Ms Merkel – a pact that has cause rifts within the SPD. Mr Schulz himself did not serve as a minister in the government, he says, because he wanted to replace Ms Merkel as chancellor. |
| In a speech following the exit poll, Ms Merkel attacked "illicit migration" and said "internal and domestic security" would be one of the focuses of coming months – an apparent nod to the AfD's priorities. | |
| She told assembled CDU supporters: "We got where we wanted to be, we wanted to be the strongest power. It is down to us to form a government, and against us, no government can be formed. | She told assembled CDU supporters: "We got where we wanted to be, we wanted to be the strongest power. It is down to us to form a government, and against us, no government can be formed. |
| "After 12 years of being responsible for the government, the result we had today is really not something you can take for granted. Naturally, there's a challenge facing us for the future, and that is that the AfD has made it into parliament. | "After 12 years of being responsible for the government, the result we had today is really not something you can take for granted. Naturally, there's a challenge facing us for the future, and that is that the AfD has made it into parliament. |
| "We will have to win back those who voted for the AfD by solving their problems, by taking on board their concerns – their fears in some cases – but also by demonstrating good policymaking. | "We will have to win back those who voted for the AfD by solving their problems, by taking on board their concerns – their fears in some cases – but also by demonstrating good policymaking. |
| "In recent months we have fought for a Germany that we want to live in well, and now we need to set the course to ensure that in five and ten years' time it's still the case." | "In recent months we have fought for a Germany that we want to live in well, and now we need to set the course to ensure that in five and ten years' time it's still the case." |
| Early set projections suggest that the CDU will hold 218 MPs in the coming session of the Bundestag, and the SPD 138. | |
| The AfD is set to take 88, the FDP 69, the Left 58 and the Greens 60. |