Merkel won the fourth term, Schulz admitted defeat

Chancellor Angela Merkel secured the fourth term, clearly according to the first exit polls published after the election in Germany, Reuters reports.

Christian Democrats Angela Merkel remains the strongest party in the Bundestag with 32.7 percent of the vote, but the radical right-wingers of AfD, who according to the latest exit polls, won 13.4 percent of the vote. This party with anti-Semitic and anti-immigrant attitudes first enters the German legislative body.

In front of them are SPD Social Democrats with 20.2 percent, which is the worst post-war result of this party. The election threshold was passed by the Left Party, the Greens and the FDP.

According to the first estimates released by DW, Angela Merkel's party will have 217 seats, SDP 134, AfD 89, FDP 70, Zeleni 62, and Left 59.

Merkel: We want a strong EU, but also to win the votes that went to the right-wingers

We want to keep a strong European Union and do a thorough analysis of why AfD has received such a large number of votes, said Merkel, Germany's Chancellor in her first address after the election.

"We have achieved a strategic goal, without us it is not possible to form a government, and we have once again been given the responsibility to do it," Merkel said and assessed the campaign as difficult. She pledged to try to gain "good politics" by voters who gave their voice to the radical-right party AfD.

We must continue economic reforms and maintain a strong economy, Merkel said.

- Of course, we want to maintain the strength of the EU and Europe. To fight illegal immigration and the causes of immigration, and of course do everything to maintain internal security - Merkel said.

She has already announced tomorrow's talks with potential partners on forming a new government for her fourth term in office position.

Sometime before her, the public was addressed by Martin Schulz, SPD leader, who expressed satisfaction with the results of his party, but said that they would remain in opposition after a four-year coalition with the CDU.

• 24 Sep, 2017
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