Germany has elected a candidate for the country’s conservative Christian Democratid Union party, Friedrich Merz, as its next Chancellor in a squeak-out victory, beating the far-right AfD party in an election that saw the highest voter turnout in decades.

Exit polls showed that the CDU bloc won nearly 30 percent of the vote, leaving the AfD, or the Alternative for Germany Party, polling in second place at 21 percent, according to Reuters.

Mr. Merz said in remarks after the polls were released that he was aware of the challenge ahead.

“We need to get a functioning government established as quickly as possible,” he said. “Celebrate now and tomorrow the work starts.”

The populist AfD party says their climb in the polls to second place was a cause for success as they look towards the next election cycle.

“We have never been stronger — we are the second biggest force,” AfD co-leader Alice Weidel said to a chorus of cheers from supporters at an election party at Berlin.

“We are the only party with a double-digit score compared to the past elections,” she said, adding, “in the next elections we will take over from the CDU and be in the first place.”

Despite their outstanding showing in which they beat out the Social Democrat Party of Germany, AfD will likely have no influence in the new parliament as many of the mainstream political parties in Germany, including the CDU, have said that they would not form a coalition with the hard-right party.

“I can assure voters in Germany very clearly of one thing: We will not work with the party that calls itself Alternative for Germany — not before (the election), not after, never,” Mr. Merz told a convention of constituents earlier this month. 

“This party stands against everything our party and our country built up in Germany over the past years and decades. It stands against our Western orientation, it stands against the euro, it stands against NATO.”

President Trump took to Truth Social on Sunday afternoon to congratulate CDU on the election win.

“LOOKS LIKE THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY  IN GERMANY HAS WON THE VERY BIG AND HIGHLY ANTICIPATED ELECTION. 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,” he wrote. THIS IS A GREAT DAY FOR GERMANY, AND FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF A GENTLEMAN NAMED DONALD J. TRUMP. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL — MANY MORE VICTORIES TO FOLLOW!!!”

Critics called out his messaging saying it contradicted the overwhelming support for AfD given by those who work closest within his administration.

“Trump is trying to take a victory lap over Germany’s election results while conveniently ‘forgetting’ that nearly everyone in his orbit — from Elon Musk, JD Vance, Charlie Kirk, and many other MAGA influencers and allies — openly backed the far-right AfD, which lost and won’t be part of the next government,” read one post from the “Republicans against Trump” X account.

“Not to mention, the leader of the conservatives and incoming Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has repeatedly criticized Trump — especially for his pro-Russia stance, among other things.”