Germany is holding elections for the new Bundestag

AUTHOR:M.J. GDNUS

Polls opened in Germany today to elect 630 members of the new Bundestag, and the latest polls show that no party will have enough seats to form a government on its own.

Polls show that the opposition Christian Democrats and the far-right, also opposition Alternative for Germany (AfD) have the most support from voters, while the Social Democratic Party of current Chancellor Olaf Scholz is in third place.

Four candidates are competing for the new German leader: current Social Democratic Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Friedrich Merz, candidate of the main conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), current Vice Chancellor Robert Habek of the Greens, and Alice Weidel of the far-right, anti-immigrant AfD.

Germany's electoral system rarely gives any party an absolute majority, and polls suggest that no party is close to achieving that this time, and it will likely take two or more parties to form a post-election coalition.

The election comes at a time when Germany, like the rest of Europe, is grappling with the new administration of US President Donald Trump, the Russia-Ukraine war and a host of security issues across the continent.

Polls are open from 8am to 6pm, and Germans can also vote by post.

Exit polls will be released immediately after voting closes, and counting of votes will begin immediately. Results will be known very soon, with final results expected early on Monday morning.

There are 59.2 million eligible voters in the country, as well as more than three million German citizens abroad, for whom this year's vote will be more difficult than usual due to the tight deadlines.

There are 29 parties on the ballot, but it is expected that between five and eight of them will manage to cross the five percent electoral threshold.