Angela Merkel wins 4th term as Chancellor

German Chancellor Angela Merkel won a fourth term in office on Sunday but will have to build an uneasy coalition to form a German government after her conservatives haemorrhaged support in the face of a surge by the far-right.

The anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) stunned the establishment by winning 13.1% of the vote, projected results showed, a result that will bring a far-right party into Parliament for the first time in more than half a century.

Lowest vote share

Ms. Merkel’s conservative bloc emerged as the largest parliamentary party but, with just 33.2% of the vote, saw its support slump to the lowest since 1949 — the first time national elections were held in post-War Germany.

Her main Social Democrat rivals also received their worst result since the 1940s — just 20.8% — after nearly half of voters repudiated the two parties that have dominated Germany since Second World War.

With Parliament now fragmented, Ms. Merkel appears likely to cobble together a tricky three-way coalition with a pro-business group and the Greens.

Ms. Merkel said the success of the far right was a test for Germans. It was important to listen to the concerns of their voters and win them back. “Of course we had hoped for a slightly better result. But we mustn’t forget that we have just completed an extraordinarily challenging legislative period, so I am happy that we reached the strategic goals of our election campaign,” Ms. Merkel said.

“We are the strongest party, we have the mandate to build the next government — and there cannot be a coalition government built against us,” Ms. Merkel added.