Germany is on the verge of welcoming a new chancellor as the current leader prepares to exit the political scene. Although his party may continue to have a presence, it is expected to be somewhat diminished. Interestingly, attempts by the Trump administration to sway the upcoming election have had minimal impact.

The recent election, held earlier than planned due to the collapse of the governing coalition late last year, brought several unexpected results and plenty of suspense. By the early hours of Monday, it became apparent that the center-right Christian Democrats would likely govern with just one coalition partner. This shift suggests a return to the more stable two-party system that has characterized German politics for most of the 21st century.

Here are five key insights from the election results.

Friedrich Merz is positioned to be the next chancellor.

A significant voter turnout, the highest in decades, favored the Christian Democrats and their allied party, the Christian Social Union. This outcome strongly indicates that Friedrich Merz, a businessman who famously pilots his own private plane, is set to assume the chancellorship, a position he has long aspired to hold.

Merz previously faced defeat in his bid to lead the Christian Democrats in the early 2000s, losing to Angela Merkel, who then served as chancellor for 16 years. However, public sentiment towards her tenure has waned, driven by discontent over her strategies, such as the reliance on Russian natural gas and the decision to open Germany’s borders in 2015, allowing millions of refugees from Syria, Afghanistan, and other regions to enter the country.

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