German elections 2017 - live updates: Far-right enters Bundestag for first time in half a century

Follow the latest updates live

The AfD party has entered parliament for the first time (Bongarts/Getty Images)

Initial results in the German elections show the country’s far-right winning seats in the Bundestag for the first time in half a century.

The populist Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) comfortably took third place in the election, while the centre-left SPD crashed to a historically low result.

Angela Merkel is expected to be easily returned as Chancellor for the third election straight with a predicted 32.5 per cent over the vote, while small parties were up across the board.

The exact shape Ms Merkel's government will take after the election is uncertain, with an array of coalition options involving the SPD, the centre-right liberal FPD, or even the Greens, who sometimes cooperate with Ms Merkel’s CDU party at the state level.
 
Ahead of the election an average of major pollsters showed the far-right AfD on 13 per cent of the vote, ahead of left-wing Die Linke (11 per cent) the FDP, and the Greens (eight per cent). The results would leave the AfD, which currently has MPs in 13 out of the country’s 16 local state assemblies, with around 70 seats in the national parliament.
 
There had been speculation that the AfD could do even better than polls suggest, because of Germans keeping their support for the party secret. One survey commissioned by the tabloid newspaper Blid suggested that 40 per cent of Germans believe the party will do better than expected.

Key Points

• Far-right AfD enters parliament for first time

[24 September 2017 12:53 · Jon Stone]

We're expecting to get some official preliminary national turnout figures from the Federal Returning Officer in the next hour or so.

We won't know whether high or low turnout is better for the Government or insurgent parties until the votes are actually counted – the AfD could be inspiring people who don't normally vote to turn out, or other Germans could be turning out to stop them.

[24 September 2017 15:32 · Jon Stone]

The early afternoon turnout figures are in. In a sentence: Turnout appears to be pretty similar to previous years, but it is up in wealthier urban areas.

Crucially these are areas where the far-right doesn't tend to do well.

Meanwhile Thuringia, the so-called “green heart of Germany”, saw turnout as of 2pm down to just 50.9 per cent. It was 55.6 per cent at the same time the same year.

Meanwhile Thuringia, the so-called “green heart of Germany”, saw turnout as of 2pm down to just 50.9 per cent. It was 55.6 per cent at the same time the same year.

Turnout in wealthy the wealthy port city of Hamburg was up, while the former coal mining and industrial area of Saarland saw a fall in turnout.

Read more here:

[24 September 2017 15:39 · Jon Stone]

Looking forward to this evening, we're expecting (all times in German – one hour ahead of the UK): 

– 6pm: polls close, first seat projections come out

– 8pm: party leaders usually concede round about now

– Weeks or months away: coalition formation. It really takes a long time, as least by British standards

[24 September 2017 15:44 · Jon Stone]

The Independent's Chloe Farand again:

Back in Franzosisch Buchholz, east Berlin, voters have witnessed first-hand the rise in support for the AfD, which won 22 per cent of the vote here in last year’s local elections.

One woman said: “This is an important day. I am 55 years old and I have voted many times so there is no excitement. On the contrary the rise of the AfD is a catastrophe.”

Another man, who also asked not to be identified, agreed. “Today is important. It's like we are back to the years before the war and the rise of Hitler. The fact the AfD could enter Parliament is a repeat of what happened with Hitler.”

Kathi, 49, said: “I think today is very important. We know that Merkel will win again but the real race is between the AfD and the liberal FPD for the third place and that could determine the future political landscape.

“But despite that, I don't think the participation rate will be higher this year than previously and I don't think the AfD will gain as many votes as some have said. I am definitely not afraid of that.”

First time voter Henry, 18, said his school had organised plenty of debates and sessions before the vote with local politicians coming in to talk to students. "I know today is important but I don't feel excited about it. I know my friends and people from my class will all go to vote although we already know Merkel will win again."

[24 September 2017 16:40 · Jon Stone]

We're expecting exit polls in 20 minutes time – you can read them here.

[24 September 2017 16:44 · Jon Stone]

[24 September 2017 16:44 · Jon Stone]

The Independent’s Chloe Farand is outside the far-right AfD’s headquarters in Alexanderplatz, Berlin, where the party will be celebrating the results tonight.

There is already a heavy security presence with police vans and dozens of security officers here as a counter-demonstration is expected later.

Some protesters have already started arriving, and at the same time there are pockets of AfD supporters and representatives.

Jörg Reichel, a Berlin resident who lives close to the club, said he came to show his opposition to the AfD, which he said "does not belong in the Berlin community".

He said: "The AfD is not part of our community. The community here votes for the SPD and the greens, we vote for democracy. This will be 70 years that a far-right party enters Parliament and we should be ashamed. It's my right as a citizen to stand here and say this is not okay.

“The police came and asked for my ID,” he adds. “I won't be charged, but how is this for democracy?"

Commenting on the fact the AfD is likely to win seats in Parliament for the first time, he added : "There will be hard times ahead. It's going to be tough for many of us: people on the left, but also the homosexuals and people from ethnic minorities."

Barriers are blocking members of the public to get close to the venue's entrance, and police are trying to prevent anti-AfD protesters from gathering on the side of the venue.

[24 September 2017 16:49 · Jon Stone]

About 100 anti-AfD protesters have gathered on the side of the Traffic Club in Alexanderplatz in Berlin, where the AfD is preparing to celebrate the election results.

There is a heavy police presence.

The protesters are singing: "Say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here" and "There is no [human] right to Nazi propaganda."

[24 September 2017 16:51 · Jon Stone]

While we wait for exit polls, here's a video of Angela Merkel being asked to show her ID at her local  polling station

[24 September 2017 17:12 · Jon Stone]

The official exit poll is out:

CDU          32.5%

SPD          20%

AfD           13.5%

FDP          10.5%

GRUNE     9.5%

LINKE        9%