Germany faces its second change of leader in less than four years after the head of the center-right opposition won Sunday’s election.

Friedrich Merz and his party won, Elon Musk didn’t seem to move voters, and more lessons from an early German vote with big implications for Europe.

The far-right had its strongest showing since World War II, while the center-left Social Democrats had their worst postwar result.

Germany's Robert Habeck, who had run in Sunday's election as the chancellor candidate for the environmentalist Greens, said he would no longer take a leading role in his party after what he described as a disappointing result.

People hold signs in support of German conservative candidate for chancellor and Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party leader Friedrich Merz, during the 2025 general election, at the CDU party headquarters in Berlin,

Sunday’s election comes as Germany and the rest of Europe grapple with the new Trump administration, the Russia-Ukraine war and security across the continent. Polls across Germany will close at 6 p.m.