Elon Musk personally congratulates AfD leader on party's election gains
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More news: Co-leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, Alice Weidel, told reporters that she missed a call from Elon Musk congratulating her on the party's election performance.
Weidel said: “This morning, when I turned my phone on or looked at it, I had received missed calls in the night from the USA, including from Elon Musk, who congratulated me personally.”
Musk became involved in the German election campaign, actively sharing his support for the AfD, which surged to become the country's second-largest party. The growth of the AfD marks the strongest showing for a far-right party since World War II.
Weidel continued: "We are the party in Germany that is acknowledged abroad, that is in conversation with all sides and that includes the Trump administration in Washington."
German conservatives win election; coalition talks loom
The news: Germany’s opposition conservatives won the national election on Sunday, news agencies reported citing exit polls.
The result puts conservative leader Friedrich Merz on track to be the next chancellor, while the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) secured its best-ever result, the polls showed.
The numbers: The conservative CDU/CSU bloc won 28.5% of the vote, followed by the AfD with 20%, according to an exit poll published by public broadcaster ZDF.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD) posted their worst result since World War II, with 16% of the vote, Bloomberg reported citing exit poll projections from public broadcaster ARD.
The context: The election, following the collapse of Scholz’s coalition in November, was shaped by debates over migration and security. Figures from US President Donald Trump’s administration, including Vice President JD Vance and billionaire Elon Musk, intervened to express support for the AfD.
With no party securing a majority, Merz and the CDU/CSU will need to negotiate a coalition. A “grand coalition” with the SPD is seen as a possible outcome, according to media reports.
What they said: “The new chancellor will be Friedrich Merz,” CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann said in Berlin. “We want a stable majority, a stable government.”
The sources: Reuters, Bloomberg, Financial Times
