The centrist Social Democratic and Green Parties both earned record low results, with 16 and 11 percent of the votes respectively. Democrats in the U.S. would do well to learn from their mistakes, and instead take notes from Germany’s left-wing party, Die Linke, or The Left — the only party to dramatically exceed expectations on Sunday.

“That feeds into this whole far-right populist narrative that the mainstream parties are abandoning those areas,” Lueders said. Far-right parties, which tend to position themselves as populists standing up for ordinary people against a corrupt or co-opted elite, are well placed to appeal to people who have lost faith in the status quo.

Struggling a month ago, the Die Linke party surged into Parliament by riding a backlash against conservative immigration policy.

Germany's mainstream conservatives led by Friedrich Merz won the country's national election, ensuring that Ukraine has an even stronger supporter in the European Union's largest country and creating hopes for renewal in an economic powerhouse that has been badly battered in recent years.

Friedrich Merz’s party has won the most seats in Germany’s election. But after ridiculing the left and embracing far right issues, he may struggle to form a coalition.

An alliance between Friedrich Merz’s conservatives and the center-left SPD is the only viable path to form a new government for Germany.

Four candidates are running to be Germany’s next leader: incumbent Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Friedrich Merz, current Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, and Alice Weidel, of the far-right AfD.

Germany could approve a fund to boost defence spending before the outgoing parliament steps down next month, while leaving debate over state borrowing limits to new lawmakers elected on Sunday, an ally of vote winner Friedrich Merz said on Tuesday.

The resurgence of the far-left Left Party, as well as a historic result for the far-right AfD, demonstrates growing support for the extremes as the outlook for Europe's largest economy darkens and the arrival of millions of migrants polarises society.