Merkel wins fourth term, but nationalists surge in election

BERLIN — Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative bloc won a lackluster victory in Germany’s national election Sunday while the anti-migrant, nationalist Alternative for Germany party managed a triumphant entry into parliament.

Merkel’s main center-left rivals, the Social Democrats, slid to their worst result since World War II, projections showed. The party, led by Merkel’s challenger Martin Schulz, vowed immediately to leave her coalition government and go into opposition.

The outcome puts Merkel on course for a fourth term as chancellor — but means that she likely faces the tricky task of forming a new coalition government with two new partners. Merkel acknowledged that it would take time, but said “we live in stormy times” and other parties should show responsibility.

“I have the intention of achieving a stable government in Germany, and that has been a hallmark” of the country, she said.

Projections for ARD and ZDF public television, based on exit polls and partial counting, showed Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union and their Bavaria-only allies, the Christian Social Union, winning around 33 percent of the vote — down from 41.5 percent four years ago. It was one of their weakest post-war showings.

Schulz’s Social Democrats were trailing far behind, with just under 21 percent support. That would be the outright worst post-war for the party, which has served since 2013 as the junior partner in a “grand coalition” of Germany’s biggest parties under Merkel.

Merkel was greeted at her party’s headquarters by supporters applauding and chanting “Angie!”

“Of course, we would have preferred a better result, that is completely clear,” she said. “But we mustn’t forget that we have had an extremely challenging parliamentary term behind us.”

“We have a mandate to form a new government, and no government can be formed against us,” Merkel added.

“We want to win back AfD voters by solving problems, by taking account of their concerns and fears, and above all with good policies,” Merkel added.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrives Sunday for a statement on the parliament election at the headquarters of the Christian Democratic Union in Berlin, Germany.