German Snap Election 2025 Live Updates: German voters have begun voting to pick a new parliament that will govern the country for the next four years
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59.2 million Germans are eligible to vote, and while millions have already voted by mail, polls show that up to 20% were uncertain before to election day.
The polls open at 08:00 (07:00 GMT) and end at 18:00, with a clear outcome expected in the evening.
This important election has galvanised voters, and campaigning resumed on Saturday evening with a final discussion on national television, the ninth of the month.
Germany’s fate in balance as polls open on election day
Voting is open to 59.2 million Germans, and although millions have already cast ballots by mail, surveys indicate that up to 20% remained unsure before to election day.
Following a fierce election campaign that was dominated by the nation’s struggling economy and a slew of horrific assaults that turned migration and security into a major topic, Germans will cast their ballots on Sunday.
Friedrich Merz, the 69-year-old conservative leader, is in pole position to become Germany’s next chancellor in a vote that will be carefully monitored in Europe and the US.
He vows to solve most problems in four years, which is a hefty goal for Europe’s largest economy and ageing infrastructure.
If Merz’s Christian Democrats (CDU) win, he will need to form a coalition with at least one other party, most likely Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats, whose government fell apart late last year.
Before the election, Merz said that no agreement would be reached between Scholz’s centre-left party and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which is expected to overtake it as the country’s second-largest political force.
59.2 million Germans are eligible to vote, and while millions have already voted by mail, polls show that up to 20% were uncertain before to election day.
The polls open at 08:00 (07:00 GMT) and end at 18:00, with a clear outcome expected in the evening.
This important election has galvanised voters, and campaigning resumed on Saturday evening with a final discussion on national television, the ninth of the month.
This is a watershed moment as Germany will have to make big decisions on the world stage as well as home.
