Germany votes: Big gains for center-left parties, heavy losses for conservatives — live updates
Angela Merkel's conservatives have suffered their worst post-war result. The center-left SPD now lead, projected results show. Both have said they are ready to form the next coalition. DW has the latest.
Anthony Gardner, the former US Ambassador to EU said that: "Germany can move beyond just being cautious and now being more proactive." Although he said he was "personally thankful for the role that Angela Merkel played" and was the "adult in the room" during Donald Trump's US presidency.
He also called on a future German government to spend more, saying it was the country's "duty" to do so and to "stop beggaring its neighbors." Gardner also called on Germany to "abandon its orthodox views on debt."
German citizens cast their ballots for the German election on Sunday — but it was the vote of chancellor candidate Armin Laschet of the center-right Christian Democrats (CDU) that set social media buzzing after he broke the secret ballot system by folding his ballot paper incorrectly while casting his vote.
But observers with a keen eye also noticed another detail: The padlock on the ballot box was not properly secured. DW looks into the claims.
