Angela Merkel wins fourth term, AfD nationalists rise, protesters take over streets
Angela Merkel has won four more years as chancellor and will continue to command the stage in Germany. But this is her party's worst performance with her as leader and overnight Germany's political scene has changed.
The nationalists have made a historic surge in federal elections.
Her conservative CDU/CSU bloc has seen its worst result in almost 70 years but will remain the largest in parliament.
Its current coalition partner, the social democratic SPD, says it will go into opposition after historic losses.
The nationalist AfD has won its first seats and is set to be the third party, a result that sparked some protests.
Dozens of demonstrators gathered outside the right-wing, anti-Islam party's headquarters in Berlin on Sunday night, some with placards saying "Refugees are welcome".
Protests were also held in several other cities, including Frankfurt and Cologne.
The third biggest force in Germany is now the nationalist and populist right of Alternative for Germany, or AfD.
So what does this shake-up mean for Germany?
What has changed?
On the surface, very little. But in reality everything has. Germany is at a turning point.
Angela Merkel has secured a fourth term, but she knows she has presided over the CDU's worst electoral performance since 1949.
For the first time since the 1950s, Germany will have six parties in the Bundestag, and the two giants of the political centre are at their lowest ebb.
Election reveals a shift in German politics as nationalists take national stage.
Mrs Merkel's main challenger, Martin Schulz, dubbed her "the biggest loser", even though it was his centre-left SPD that registered its worst ever showing and, barring a dramatic change of mind, will form the opposition.
Nationalists take national stage
The real winners of this election are the nationalist, right-wing AfD, along with the pro-business FDP, who have returned to parliament after four years in the wilderness and are likely to return to government.
Within an hour of AfD's success becoming clear, joint leader Alexander Gauland promised to "hunt down the government, Mrs Merkel, and get our country and people back". They will be a loud, confident opposition party with the chancellor in their sights.
With more than 90 seats in the Bundestag and 13% of the popular vote they will make life very uncomfortable for her government. They argue the chancellor has broken a number of laws with her refugee policy and say a committee should investigate her.
Take apart the right-wing party's results and you will see a big east-west split. AfD are the second biggest party in the east of the country with over 20% of the vote. In the eastern state of Saxony they were even neck and neck with the CDU on just under 30%.
Her conservative CDU/CSU bloc has seen its worst result in almost 70 years but will remain the largest in parliament.
Its current coalition partner, the social democratic SPD, says it will go into opposition after historic losses.
The nationalist AfD has won its first seats and is set to be the third party, a result that sparked some protests.
Dozens of demonstrators gathered outside the right-wing, anti-Islam party's headquarters in Berlin on Sunday night, some with placards saying "Refugees are welcome".
Protests were also held in several other cities, including Frankfurt and Cologne.
The third biggest force in Germany is now the nationalist and populist right of Alternative for Germany, or AfD.
So what does this shake-up mean for Germany?
What has changed?
On the surface, very little. But in reality everything has. Germany is at a turning point.
Angela Merkel has secured a fourth term, but she knows she has presided over the CDU's worst electoral performance since 1949.
For the first time since the 1950s, Germany will have six parties in the Bundestag, and the two giants of the political centre are at their lowest ebb.
Election reveals a shift in German politics as nationalists take national stage.
Mrs Merkel's main challenger, Martin Schulz, dubbed her "the biggest loser", even though it was his centre-left SPD that registered its worst ever showing and, barring a dramatic change of mind, will form the opposition.
Nationalists take national stage
The real winners of this election are the nationalist, right-wing AfD, along with the pro-business FDP, who have returned to parliament after four years in the wilderness and are likely to return to government.
Within an hour of AfD's success becoming clear, joint leader Alexander Gauland promised to "hunt down the government, Mrs Merkel, and get our country and people back". They will be a loud, confident opposition party with the chancellor in their sights.
With more than 90 seats in the Bundestag and 13% of the popular vote they will make life very uncomfortable for her government. They argue the chancellor has broken a number of laws with her refugee policy and say a committee should investigate her.
Take apart the right-wing party's results and you will see a big east-west split. AfD are the second biggest party in the east of the country with over 20% of the vote. In the eastern state of Saxony they were even neck and neck with the CDU on just under 30%.
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