The conservative rule in Germany under Angela Merkel's centre-right CDU party has ended after 16 years, as official preliminary results show the centre-left Social Democratic party (SPD) secured 25.7% of the vote and CDU won 24.1%.

The SPD leader and current finance minister, Olaf Scholz, said Germans had voted for the SPD because 'they want the name of the next chancellor to be Olaf Scholz' in a speech to his party on election night.

He said the citizens of Germany had given 'a clear mandate' for a three-way coalition between the SPD, the Greens and the FDP.

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German election live: Social Democrats secure narrow win as CDU plunges to historic low ► https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2021/sep/26/germany-election-2021-results-reaction-angela-merkel-era-ends-baerbock-scholz-laschet-spd-greens-cdu-live-latest-updates?page=with:block-615141808f08b6230668c336#block-615141808f08b6230668c336

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