PM congratulates Merz for election victory

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo on Sunday congratulated Friedrich Merz, leader of the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) for the victory in the national elections in Germany.

“Warm congratulations to my friend Friedrich Merz on your election victory tonight ( Sunday night)! A strong Germany is essential for a strong Europe. Together, we must strengthen our security, support Ukraine, and boost our economies. Looking forward to working closely with you!,” the Premier wrote in a post on his social media platform X late Sunday night.

The CDU and the Christian Social Union (CSU), took the lead in the country's 2025 federal election, reported Xinhua, quoting the preliminary results released by German public broadcaster ARD on Sunday evening.

According to ARD's initial count till press time, CDU/CSU secured 28.4 percent of the vote, followed by the Alternative for Germany (AfD) with 20.4 percent and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) with 16.4 percent.

The Greens came in fourth with 12.2 percent, ahead of Die Linke with 8.9 percent.

The Free Democratic Party (FDP) and Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) are projected to receive 4.8 percent and 5.0 percent, respectively.