German parliament sits for first time with AfD as second biggest party

Far right party doubles its number of seats, while chancellor-in-waiting, Friedrich Merz, hopes to form government before Easter

Germany’s new parliament sits for the first time on Tuesday with the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) the second biggest force, as negotiators seek to iron out key differences on tax and migration that are likely to dominate a new coalition government under Friedrich Merz.

The 630 members of the Bundestag, 230 of whom are newly elected, will sit in parliament at a unique time in postwar German history. The AfD has doubled its number of seats to 152, while centrist parties are overhauling the country’s military and fiscal policy in response to rising threats to European security.

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