Caretaker Chancellor Olaf Scholz must take no significant foreign or domestic policy decision without first consulting Merz's team, it ordered, the 69-year-old told reporters. "Conservatives want to put Scholz on a leash!

The CDU’s leader, Friedrich Merz, is set to become the next German chancellor, succeeding Olaf Scholz.  The AfD doubled its vote share from 2021, earning 20.8 percent of the vote and 152 seats and achieving a second-place finish for the first time.

Germany’s conservatives are heading for defeat in Sunday’s Hamburg regional vote just one week after leader Friedrich Merz’s victory over Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats in the national election.

Friedrich Merz's conservative party is the winner of the German general election, while current Chancellor Olaf Scholz's party experienced its worst result since the late 19th century. Photo: Ina Fass

Outgoing German chancellor Olaf Scholz conceded the election and decried the historic gains of the far-right conservative party, AfD. Early exit polls show AfD is headed for second place, while opposition leader Friedrich Merz’s conservatives are in the lead and Scholz’s party fell to third.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz conceded defeat for his center-left Social Democrats after what he called 'a bitter election result.'

German voters are choosing the next leaders of Europe’s biggest economy on Sunday with polls suggesting a likely victory for the opposition conservatives under Friedrich Merz and a bitter loss for Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his Social Democrats.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Opposition Leader Friedrich Merz faced off in a final debate on German television on Wednesday ahead of elections next Sunday. During the debate the candidates touched on migration,

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will be succeeded by conservative opposition leader Friedrich Merz after his party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), secured the largest vote share in Germany's national elections on Sunday.

Germany's conservatives led by Friedrich Merz won the elections, securing over 28% of the vote, while the far-right AfD gained over 20%. Outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz's SPD suffered a historic low with 16%.

Friedrich Merz, who was forced out of politics about a decade ago, is all set to replace Olaf Scholz as next German Chancellor.