Unions triumph in European polls; AfD leads in the East region.

Germany is in the news following recent events. - European Elections Result: Union Triumphs, AfD on Top in the East

The Union triumphs, applause for the traffic light, and substantial advancements for the AfD: Germany is shifting to the right in the European elections. The AfD anticipates securing the second position nationwide - in the east, they are even in first place. The SPD, Greens, and FDP are compelled to accept losses and collectively make up less than half of the voter votes. The Left also experiences a setback, making way for the new party BSW from Sahra Wagenknecht.

Based on ARD and ZDF projections from Sunday evening, the Union gains slightly to 30.2 - 30.3 percent (2019: 28.9). The AfD acquires its best nationwide result with 15.9 percent (2019: 11) - they fall short of mid-survey values. In Eastern Germany, the party emerges as the most influential force. The SPD, which also campaigned with Chancellor Olaf Scholz as a talking point, declines to 13.9 - 14 percent (15.8) - this marks their worst result in a nationwide election. The Greens decrease to 11.9 percent (20.5). The FDP incurs only minimal losses, attaining 5 - 5.1 percent (5.4).

The Left positions at a meager 2.7 percent (5.5) - their worst result in European elections. The BSW party achieves 6 percent from the start. The Free Voters account for 2.7 percent (2.2), and the Volt party rests at 2.5 percent (0.7).

In contrast to Bundestag and state elections, there is no threshold in the European elections, hence no five-percent barrier. The estimated voter turnout is 65 percent. In 2019, it registered at 61.4 percent, at that time Germany held fifth place among the 27 EU countries. For the very first time, 16- and 17-year-olds were allowed to vote in a European election in Germany.

SPD Chairman Klingbeil: "Disheartening Defeat"

SPD Chief Lars Klingbeil referred to the election result as a "disheartening defeat." "There's nothing attractive about it," he said in the Berlin SPD headquarters. We will delve into how this outcome came about. "It's evident that adjustments are necessary," SPD General Secretary Kevin Kühnert commented in the ARD. However, a discussion about the person of Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) is out of the question.

The ex-SPD chairperson Sigmar Gabriel addressed the party leadership of Klingbeil and Saskia Esken: "With 14 percent, no one can lay claim to leading the SPD without contest," he told the Tagesspiegel. "Within the SPD, everyone accountable, that is the elected party leadership, must now weigh the extent of their responsibility: What proportion do they bear in this setback?" The coalition government is also a "deafening slap in the face."

Merz: Possible Ultimatum for the Traffic Light

The CDU leader Friedrich Merz called on the federal government to adjust its course in the upcoming days. This is urgently required for the nation. The day of the election is now "the actual last warning" for the traffic light coalition in the 2021 Bundestag election. The three-party union (SPD, Greens, and FDP) is harming Germany. This is applicable to domestic policies, for instance, decisions on immigration issues, as well as economic policies.

The CSU leader Markus Soeder commented: "The traffic light has been officially rejected by citizens."

The AfD leader Tino Chrupalla regarded the outcome of his party as "significant." "I hear, we are now the leading party in the east in this electoral contest, there's no longer any tailwind," he explained to the German Press Agency in Berlin with reference to imminent state elections in Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg.

The Green Party leader Ricarda Lang appeared discontented with the decline in votes for her party. "This is not the mandate we entered this election with, and we will work towards overcoming that," noted the co-party chairwoman in the ARD.

The FDP's top candidate Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann stressed that her party had approximately held its result from the previous European election. "That it now represents a stable five percent is a rather positive message," she stated at the Berlin party headquarters. General Secretary Bijan Djir-Sarai did not wish to address whether he retained trust in the chancellor. "That's not the primary topic," Djir-Sarai said in the ARD.

The Left Party leader Martin Schirdewan described the evening as bittersweet. The Left had not managed to break through with their views, even though they were connected to the everyday concerns of individuals - salaries, rents, price escalation, societal redistribution from above to below, social climate protection, and peace policy. They had not been able to counter the right-wing and the entrenched interests of the other parties.

The founder of the BSW party, Wagenknecht, seemed quite happy and relieved after the outcome of her alliance. She stated, "We have a lot of potential we want to utilize in the upcoming elections." Wagenknecht also affirmed her belief in the importance of a diplomatic initiative in Russia's war against Ukraine. "A lot of people are concerned that the war might reach us."

Across Europe, the EVP, led by the German candidate Ursula von der Leyen, is on the winning side. Initial estimates from the European Parliament predict that the CDU politician could hold on to her role as President of the EU Commission despite the significant gains made by far-right parties. The generally pro-European camp remains the largest overall.

In many European countries, including Germany, the expectations were that there would be a surge for right-wing parties before the election. At certain points, surveys placed the AfD at over 20 percent support. However, the scandal involving their lead candidate Maximilian Krah and the number two on the European election list, Petr Bystron, led to trouble for the party. Krah was accused of connections to pro-Russian networks, while Bystron faced allegations of possible China connections.

An investigation is ongoing against Bystron due to preliminary suspicions of bribery and money laundering. Krah, who has been an MEP since 2019, has recently faced intense backlash for making light of the SS, which was the Nazi's protection force. The federal executive board of the AfD subsequently demanded that Krah not participate in the election campaign. As a result, the right-wing faction ID (Identity and Democracy) in the European Parliament excluded all German AfD MPs.

In the 27 EU member states, around 360 million voters were eligible to cast their ballots. Over four days - varying by country - 720 MPs were elected for the new European Parliament, and 96 in Germany on the final day. In parallel to the European elections, elections also took place at the local level in eight federal states: Baden-Württemberg, Brandenburg, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony, and Saxony-Anhalt. In Thuringia, decisions were made on several district presidents and mayors through runoff elections.