Monday, February 24

The German people have voted for the conservative Christian Democrats in the country's latest election, making party leader Friedrich Merz their next chancellor.

Back in November, former Chancellor Olaf Scholz was forced to call for a no confidence vote after his party's coalition broke apart, leaving them unable to pass bills. Due to the fact that there are seven parties in the German Parliament, no one party can take control-- they must form coalitions with other successful parties to gain a majority. Read more into the initial political turmoil here.

The elections were then set for February 23, and Scholz was not expected to keep his position as chancellor. It soon became clear that Germany's opinion on politics was shifting right, away from liberalism and towards the conservative side.

The election results confirmed this shift, reshuffling the political order of Germany's parties. Friedrich Merz's center-right Christian Democrats received the most votes, with 208 of the Parliament's 630 total seats and 28.6% of the total vote. The second place party was the largest surprise of the election, with Germany's far-right party, Alternative for Germany, receiving 152 seats-- they made massive improvements from last election, moving up from 10.4% of the vote in 2021 to 20.8% of the vote in 2025. Meanwhile, Scholz's center-left Social Democrats were demoted to third place after receiving 120 seats and only 16.4% of the vote, down from 25.7% in 2021.

Now, Merz has clearly become the next leader for the country, but his government still needs to be decided on. He has confirmed that he will not be considering a coalition with the far-right Alternative for Germany, making Scholz's centrist Social Democrats his most likely option.

In the previous election, Social Democrats were forced to form a coalition with both the Greens and the Free Democrats, two other parties in the Parliament, to obtain a majority, making it more fragile. However, the seats have been structured in a way that if the Christian Democrats were to form a coalition with the Social Democrats, they would immediately cross the threshold for a majority, enabling them to have a more secure coalition with just two parties.

Merz stated that he needs a strong government to fight back against the pressure of the United States on one side and Russia on the other side, and he confirmed after his win that the goal at the top of his list is to unify Europe amid the challenges it is currently facing.

Upcoming Events:

• Nordic World Ski Championships Begin (Wednesday, February 26)

• Maha Shivaratri (Wednesday, February 26)

• Ramadan Begins (Friday, February 28)

• Zero Discrimination Day (Saturday, March 1)

• World Seagrass Day (Saturday, March 1)

Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): The intuitive reason why humans blink so much, 15 to 20 times per minute, is for eye lubrication. But some research suggests that it’s actually to give our brains a break. Although these breaks only last for a few seconds, they could be giving the brain a chance to go idle and recharge.

Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Every lie is two lies, the lie we tell others and the lie we tell ourselves to justify it. (Robert Brault)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Tousle (verb, TOW-sul) - To tousle something is to dishevel it—that is, to make it untidy or unkempt. Tousle is usually, though not always, used specifically when a person’s hair is being so treated.

In a Sentence: Vic stood in front of the mirror and tousled his hair, trying to get a cool, disheveled look.