Germany’s Social Democrats are under pressure to quickly revamp leadership as a role in a new government beckons, even though Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s party slumped to its worst election result since World War II.

Incumbent German chancellor and SPD candidate Olaf Scholz called the outcome of the general election in Germany on Sunday (February 23) “a bitter result” and a defeat for his party. Could these jumping mice change how astronauts exercise?

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has admitted his Social Democratic Party (SPD) has suffered a "bitter election result," after preliminary figures showed the party plunging to its worst performance in the country's post-war history.

Exit polls show the center-right Christian Democratic Union party leading, with the AfD party heading towards the strongest showing of the far-right since World War II.

The Christian Democratic Union and its allied Christian Social Union secured the largest share of votes in the German federal election, exit polls show.