Global News Podcast
Germany election: exit polls say conservatives head for victory
Mon, 24 Feb 2025
Friedrich Merz is set to become Germany's next chancellor, as exit polls show his centre-right grouping has won the general election. The far-right AfD appears to have come second.
Chapter 1: Who is set to become Germany's next chancellor?
This is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Bernadette Keogh, and in the early hours of Monday 24th February, these are our main stories. Friedrich Metz is in poll position to become Germany's next Chancellor, as exit polls show his centre-right grouping has won the general election. The far-right AFD appears to have come second.
Vladimir Zelensky has told reporters he'd be willing to give up his presidency if it would help bring peace to Ukraine. Tens of thousands of mourners in Lebanon have taken part in the funeral of the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Also in this podcast, the Sudanese army says it's made another significant advance against its rivals.
And... She was smoking like a trooper. She had two cigarettes going on either side of her. I was very intimidated by her. And also with myself, my voice was a little bit higher. And I listened to it and I think, oh, Lord.
The BBC's veteran film correspondent remembers interviewing Betty Davis. Exit polls from Germany's snap general election suggest the conservative Christian Democrats have won with about 30% of the vote. The far right, alternative for Germany, appears to have come second with around 20%, its highest national share ever. If confirmed, the figures are in line with polling before the election.
Speaking afterwards, Friedrich Merz promised to waste no time during negotiations to form the next government, but he's made clear that it will be without the AFD.
Now we will talk to each other and the main thing is to re-establish a government in Germany that is capable of acting as quickly as possible with a good parliamentary majority. Because, dear friends, the world out there is not waiting for us and it is not waiting for lengthy coalition talks and negotiations.
We need to be able to act quickly again so that we can do the right thing at home, so that we are present in Europe again and so that the world realises that Germany is once more reliably governed.
The Social Democrat Party, led by Olaf Scholz, is predicted to have had its worst ever result at 16.5%. Speaking after the exit poll, he said he was realistic about the scale of the potential defeat.
This is a bitter election result for the SDP.
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Chapter 2: What are the implications of Germany's election results?
Well, it's clearly the big blow to Hezbollah. Thousands of its supporters first were targeted by the Pager attack, then leadership were killed with its top leader. Weapons have been destroyed. The supply routes from Syria and Iraq were also blocked. And as you rightly said, the change of leadership in Syria...
that's against Hezbollah, cutting all the supply routes, cutting even the economic routes for them they use to fuel on the Captagon. So that's all a big blow to Hezbollah. And in fact, regional changes is sending clear message that Lebanon should be away from any hostile activities towards Israel and new leadership in Lebanon itself should be away from Hezbollah.
Lina Sinjab. Sudan's army says it has ended the rapid support forces' nearly two-year siege of El Obeid, the strategic capital of North Kordofan. On Saturday, the RSF paramilitaries and allied groups signed a charter to form a rival administration in rebel-held areas, a move condemned by Sudan's foreign minister. Our Africa regional editor Richard Kagoi reports.
There was jubilation on the streets of El Obeid as Sudanese soldiers marched into the city. A military spokesman, Nabil Abdullah, confirmed the gains, saying army forces had destroyed RSF units. El Obeid is a strategic hub connecting Khartoum to Darfur, where the RSF has gained ground.
Analysts are calling this operation a significant victory for the army, which has been making steady advances in recent weeks. This triumph comes amid a 22-month conflict that has fractured Sudan. The army now controls the north and east, while the RSF holds sway over much of Darfur and parts of the south. The fight for control has displaced millions and left thousands dead.
Richard Kigoy. In its latest update on the Pope's health, the Vatican says the 88-year-old remains in a critical condition but hasn't had any further respiratory attacks. Pope Francis is spending a tenth night in hospital in Rome where he's being treated for double pneumonia. On Saturday, a statement said his condition had worsened and he'd been given oxygen as well as blood transfusions.
Our correspondent Sarah Rainsford is at the Vatican.
It is still, I think, very troubling for his doctors, certainly still troubling for Vatican officials here, but somewhat, I won't say improved, but somewhat less stark than the quite shocking picture that there was yesterday, which certainly, I think, rattled many people here in Rome who heard that the Pope had had what was described as a respiratory crisis and that he'd had blood transfusion.
So we've got a little more detail on that just now. We understand that the Pope had two units of blood and that there was some improvement in what had been described as some anemia. So that is slightly improved. But the sort of novelty, I guess, in this kind of clinical picture is that he has some kidney problems, a mild renal insufficiency. But they're saying that is under control.
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