He has vowed to prioritize European unity and the continent’s security as it grapples with the new Trump administration and Russia’s war on Ukraine.

The likely next chancellor is unpopular, and his country’s economy has stalled. But his penchant for risks could help lead to a European showdown with President Trump.

Friedrich Merz, a man who has never held a government role, is preparing to take the reins in Germany just as the country faces its biggest economic and diplomatic crises in decades and Europe looks urgently for a new generation of leaders for an era of transatlantic tension.

The Christian Democratic Union’s victory comes despite a strong showing by the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD.

The leader of the conservative Christian Democrats celebrated as exit polls indicated they had won Sunday’s election, which had the highest voter turnout in decades.