BERLIN (SW): German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been re-elected for a fourth term while nationalists have made a historic surge in federal elections.
Preliminary results showed Merkel's CDU/CSU group would be the largest in the Bundestag, but with its lead cut to 33.5% of the seats, down from 41.5% in 2013. The SPD fell to 21.6% from 25.7%, a result met with shock at the party's headquarters. It was the CDU's worst result since 1949, and the SPD's worst since 1945.
The AfD, founded only four years ago, became the first far-right party to enter the Bundestag since 1961, with just over 13% of the vote.
Addressing supporters, Mrs Merkel, who has been in the job for 12 years, said she had hoped for a "better result". She added that she would listen to the "concerns, worries and anxieties" of voters of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in order to win them back.
Mrs Merkel also said her government would have to deal with economic and security issues as well as addressing the root causes of migration – one of the main reasons behind the AfD's result. "Today we can say that we now have a mandate to assume responsibility and we're going to assume this responsibility calmly, talking with our partners of course."
According to the CNN, with the SPD refusing to rejoin government and no party willing to work with the AfD, the result leaves Merkel with few options for a coalition. Merkel may be forced to make a deal with the Green Party and FDP, to create a so-called "Jamaican coalition" — with the green and and yellow of the two parties combining with the black of the CDU to resemble the flag of Jamaica.
The pro-business FDP are expected to take 10% of seats with the Greens one percentage point behind on nine. Coalition talks are unlikely to begin in earnest until final results have been announced on Monday.
To form a government, the parties involved must have a combined total of at least 50% of the seats in parliament. There are likely to be several coalition options, and plenty of disagreement between the parties before they reach a deal.
The Bundestag is due reconvene on October 24 with the new government in place
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