The beer was flowing and the applause was loud for the victorious Friedrich Merz at CDU headquarters in Berlin on election night.

But the chancellor-in-waiting’s triumph was not all it seemed, and the party faithful knew it.

“It’s muted,” a diplomatic source at the celebrations told The Telegraph, “they wanted more.”

Germany’s conservatives won a 28.52 per cent share in an election with the highest turnout since reunification in 1990. They would have hoped for more than 30 per cent or even 35.

Angela Merkel’s worst election result in 16 years in power leading the CDU (Christian Democratic Union) was 32.9 per cent.

After she stepped down, the party under Armin Laschet won only 24.1 per cent in 2021, leading to Mr Merz’s political comeback as leader.