German election: What's next

Friedrich Merz, chairman of the Christian Democratic Union, is poised to be nominated as Germany's next chancellor, according to preliminary results of the federal election.

His immediate challenge is to form a government, a task complicated by the strong performance of the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, which finished second. His bloc wants to ally with Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats, who came in third.

Merz has pledged to revitalize Germany's struggling economy and address the looming threat of US tariffs. On the domestic front, he aims to tighten immigration laws, though changes are expected to be moderate given the country's reliance on migrant labor.

Internationally, Merz will need to manage relations with the Donald Trump administration, the conflict in Ukraine, and broader security concerns.

With Europe needing a strong Germany, Merz faces the pressure of forming a stable coalition and addressing these critical issues. The coming weeks will be crucial as he works to secure the necessary support and outline his policy agenda.