![Fabian Sommer Friedrich Merz, Federal Chairman of the CDU, speaks after the first projections at a press conference in the Konrad Adenauer House, in Berlin, Sunday June 9, 2024. (Fabian Sommer/dpa via AP)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/71207d0456d54358b3d86a386c82c9af/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
Friedrich Merz, Federal Chairman of the CDU, speaks after the first projections at a press conference in the Konrad Adenauer House, in Berlin, Sunday June 9, 2024. (Fabian Sommer/dpa via AP)
![Andreas Arnold A woman in a European hoodie throws her ballot paper into the ballot box for the European elections at a polling station in Frankfurt, Germany Sunday, June 9, 2024. (Andreas Arnold/dpa via AP)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/a30f64ed2e8d403996b71fe9c05bc008/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
A woman in a European hoodie throws her ballot paper into the ballot box for the European elections at a polling station in Frankfurt, Germany Sunday, June 9, 2024. (Andreas Arnold/dpa via AP)
![Kay Nietfeld German Chancellor Olaf Scholz waits in line to cast his vote for the European Parliament elections, in Potsdam, Germany, Sunday, June 9, 2024. Tens of millions across the European Union were voting in EU parliamentary elections on Sunday in a massive exercise of democracy that is expected to shift the bloc to the right and redirect its future. (Kay Nietfeld/dpa via AP)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/970d1a6da71a481e99083d00956feb1f/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz waits in line to cast his vote for the European Parliament elections, in Potsdam, Germany, Sunday, June 9, 2024. Tens of millions across the European Union were voting in EU parliamentary elections on Sunday in a massive exercise of democracy that is expected to shift the bloc to the right and redirect its future. (Kay Nietfeld/dpa via AP)
![Joerg Carstensen Alice Weidel, center, and Tino Chrupalla, center right, both AfD federal chairmen, cheer at the AfD party headquarters during the forecast for the European election in Berlin Sunday, June 9, 2024. (Joerg Carstensen/dpa via AP)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/94e60c83e20f4de39d772dba016d2b60/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
Alice Weidel, center, and Tino Chrupalla, center right, both AfD federal chairmen, cheer at the AfD party headquarters during the forecast for the European election in Berlin Sunday, June 9, 2024. (Joerg Carstensen/dpa via AP)
![Joerg Carstensen Alice Weidel, center, and Tino Chrupalla, center right, both AfD federal chairmen, cheer at the AfD party headquarters during the forecast for the European election in Berlin Sunday, June 9, 2024. (Joerg Carstensen/dpa via AP)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/5afdab726ef0419aad81e4aef6f18f32/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
Alice Weidel, center, and Tino Chrupalla, center right, both AfD federal chairmen, cheer at the AfD party headquarters during the forecast for the European election in Berlin Sunday, June 9, 2024. (Joerg Carstensen/dpa via AP)
![Julian Stratenschulte Ursula von der Leyen, left, President of the European Commission, walks to a ballot box outside a polling station in the Hanover region with her husband Heiko to cast her vote in the European Parliament elections, in Burgdorf, Germany on Sunday, June 9, 2024. (Julian Stratenschulte/dpa via AP)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/12afa078bb964c4aace2fc757e8a284f/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
Ursula von der Leyen, left, President of the European Commission, walks to a ballot box outside a polling station in the Hanover region with her husband Heiko to cast her vote in the European Parliament elections, in Burgdorf, Germany on Sunday, June 9, 2024. (Julian Stratenschulte/dpa via AP)
![Silas Stein Katharina Moser, dressed in traditional Black Forest attire. with red Bollenhut hat, casts her ballot for the European Parliament elections at the polling stationm in Gutach im Breisgau, Germany, Sunday, June 9, 2024. (Silas Stein/dpa via AP)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/6c99b08543f142c5994cf1fc51c9cb42/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
Katharina Moser, dressed in traditional Black Forest attire. with red Bollenhut hat, casts her ballot for the European Parliament elections at the polling stationm in Gutach im Breisgau, Germany, Sunday, June 9, 2024. (Silas Stein/dpa via AP)
![Michael Probst A woman casts her ballot for the European elections in a polling station in Frankfurt, Germany, Sunday, June 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/5e227185cc8b43c58eba189b5ddf8c8d/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
A woman casts her ballot for the European elections in a polling station in Frankfurt, Germany, Sunday, June 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
![Kay Nietfeld German Chancellor Olaf Scholz casts his ballot for the European Parliament elections, in Potsdam, Germany, Sunday, June 9, 2024. Tens of millions across the European Union were voting in EU parliamentary elections on Sunday in a massive exercise of democracy that is expected to shift the bloc to the right and redirect its future. (Kay Nietfeld/dpa via AP)](https://mapi.associatedpress.com/v2/items/bc006e3e865747fa966c18935aac975f/preview/preview.jpg?s=680x)
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz casts his ballot for the European Parliament elections, in Potsdam, Germany, Sunday, June 9, 2024. Tens of millions across the European Union were voting in EU parliamentary elections on Sunday in a massive exercise of democracy that is expected to shift the bloc to the right and redirect its future. (Kay Nietfeld/dpa via AP)