German conservative leader Friedrich Merz said his top priority is working towards unity in Europe to counter interference from the United States or Russia.
He had no illusions about the challenges in relations with the US, Merz said on a panel on broadcasters ARD and ZDF, Reuters reports.
"The interventions from Washington were no less dramatic and drastic and ultimately outrageous than the interventions we saw from Moscow," Merz said, referring to the support that American billionaire Elon Musk offered to the German far right during the election.
He also said that he wants to begin preliminary talks on forming a coalition within eight days at the latest.
"It is time for intensive talks after the Hamburg parliamentary elections at the latest. I want us to finish forming the government by Easter at the latest," he told ARD, adding that there are still eight weeks until then and that must be enough.
In the case of a two-party coalition, the process could be faster. He stressed that he would talk to all relevant political parties of the democratic center.
A coalition with the AfD is out of the question, he stressed.
"I've always said that. Those who voted for the AfD knew that even before the election - and they voted for that party despite that."
"I will try to form a federal government that represents the entire German population. I will also try to form a government that will solve the problems of our country. We have been in recession for the third year and we must get out of it," said Merck.
The conservative CDU/CSU parties won between 28,5 and 29 percent according to exit polls broadcast by public broadcasters ARD and ZDF, while the AfD won 19,5 to 20 percent, an unprecedented result for a far-right party in a federal election since the post-war period.
The Social Democratic Party won between 16 and 16,5 percent, compared to 25,7 percent in 2021. The Greens fell slightly, winning between 12 and 13,5 percent.
Merc will have to look for one or two allies to form a coalition.
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