Germany has become 'less predictable': Merkel wins fourth term but far-right AfD makes historic breakthrough

Win first seats in Bundestag

German Chancellor Angela Merkel secured her fourth term in office in yesterday's elections, but she will find forming a coalition difficult as the nationalist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party shocked the country by winning 12.6% of the vote.

In what has been called a disastrous showing for the Chancellor, Merkel's alliance between the Christian Democrat (CDU) and the Christian Social Union (CSU) parties only won 33% of the vote. This is far behind the 42% she received in 2013 and the worst result for the alliance since 1949. She has now started searching for coalition partners but this process has been complicated by the fact the far-right AfD performed better than expected to win 12.6% of the vote, giving the party its first seats in the Bundestag. Merkel's current coalition partner, the social democratic SPD, has said it w...