STORY: Winning conservatives face tough road ahead as Germany shifts right
SHOOTING TIME: Feb. 24, 2025
DATELINE: Feb. 25, 2025
LENGTH: 00:01:51
LOCATION: Berlin
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the campaign site of CDU
2. various of the speaking site of AFD
3. various of the campaign site of SPD
4. various of a polling station
5. various of the German parliament in session
6. various of Merz speaking
7. various of a polling station
8. SOUNDBITE 1 (German): SIMON, Voter
9. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): JOHANN, Voter
10. various of campaign posters displaying on the streets of Berlin

STORYLINE:

Germany's conservative bloc, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Christian Social Union (CSU), has taken the lead in the country's 2025 federal election, preliminary results have shown. 

The election will determine the composition of the next Bundestag, or the lower house of the parliament.
   
CDU/CSU secured 28.6 percent of the vote, followed by the Alternative for Germany (AfD) with 20.8 percent and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) with 16.4 percent, according to the preliminary results released by the Federal Returning Officer in the early hours of Monday.

According to German public broadcaster ARD, voter turnout reached 84 percent, the highest since 1990. The newly elected parliament will select Germany's next chancellor following coalition negotiations among parties.
   
Friedrich Merz, chancellor candidate of the CDU/CSU, vowed to move swiftly to form a new government.

Admitting the SPD's defeat, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that he will remain in office until a new coalition government is formed.

While acknowledging the challenges of forming a government under current circumstances, Merz said he will strive for the goal of having a government in place by Easter.
   
On foreign policy, he said that there is the need to strengthen Europe step by step, with the goal of achieving strategic autonomy or independence from the United States.

SOUNDBITE 1 (German): SIMON, Voter
"I think two topics are the most important: first, the economic situation and, second, the social situation of how economic success benefits all people."

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): JOHANN, Voter
"Migration is a huge topic in these times. And where I also think it's more like an investment in our future. And so I think shutting yourself out from the world or going back to nationalism and protectionism is not the right way.
Especially in times like these, in times when I think it's also important for Europe as a whole to stick together."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Berlin.
(XHTV)