Berlin, GERMANY: German chancellor Angela Merkel has won a fourth term following elections that were conducted on Sunday.
Merkels center right party the Christian democratic union and its Bavarian state sister party the CSU won 33% of the votes and scooped highest seats in the Bundestag, which is the German parliament with 218 votes out of 299 votes.
Rival party the Social democratic party scooped 20.5 party of the votes .
However, the SDU which is an outgoing coalition party to the CDU announced that it would not be renewing its coalition but rather heading to the opposition.
The far right , anti Muslim, anti immigration and anti European union party the AfD which has largely criticized Merkels immigration policy made it to the Bundestag after scooping 12.6% of the votes.
The party makes history as it is the first time in more than 50 years a far right party is making it to the Bundestag.
However the CDU’s win is a drop from 2013 where the party scooped more than 40% of the votes.
In order to avoid a minority government , the CDU must look for a party to create a coalition with and with the SDU deciding to be the main opposition party, analysts argue that the only feasible coalition would be with the pro business Free democratic’s party who scooped 10% of the votes and the the Greens party which scored 9% of the votes.
The entry of the far right AfD into the Bundestag , prompted protests in several cities including Cologne, Berlin and Hamburg with protesters chanting “Nazi’s out” slogans as reported by the German national broad caster Deutsch Welle.
The AfD which has been equaled by critics to Adolf Hitlers Nazi movement, has accused Angela Merkel of betraying the German people due to her absorption of migrants policy.
Several far right groups linked to the party in March held several protests carrying out placards reading
“Merkel must go”.
Addressing her supporters Merkel who has ruled Germany since 2015 said she had hoped for a ‘better result’.
