Friedrich Merz is on course to become post-World War II Germany’s 10th chancellor, the culmination of a yearslong political career that was once sidelined by his party’s iconic leader

The Christian Democratic Union Party's win in Germany ensures that Europe's biggest economy is likely to continue to lead on climate change — though with a different framing and focus. Why it matters: Germany has taken aggressive action to lower emissions and push so-called "green" policies within the European Union and internationally.

Germany's election winner Friedrich Merz wants to form a government quickly in order to revive a moribund economy, hike defence spending and tackle diplomatic challenges ranging from a confrontational Trump administration to ending the Ukraine war.

Friedrich Merz is poised to become Germany’s next chancellor, but his victory may not deliver the stability many voters had hoped for. The 2025 election marks a major turning point for Germany, with a sharp rightward shift and the collapse of the center-left.

Here are five key takeaways. Look at an election results map of Germany, and you could almost have travelled back in time to the Cold War, when an iron curtain divided communist East Germany from the west.