In a special show from Berlin, the POLITICO team analyzes Germany's cliffhanger election, gauges the mood in the different camps, and explores how coalition talks may play out.

POLITICO's Andrew Gray brings you up to speed on the latest projected results, which show the Social Democrats have a narrow lead over the conservative CDU/CSU alliance. But it's still wide open whether the SPD's Olaf Scholz or the CDU/CSU's Armin Laschet will succeed Angela Merkel as chancellor. It will all come down to who can form a coalition, likely with the Greens and Free Democrats.

Our reporters in Berlin, including Joshua Posaner, Hans von der Burchard, Laurenz Gehrke and Annette Nöstlinger, take us inside the parties' election-night events and give us a flavor of the mood there.

And POLITICO's Matthew Karnitschnig, Florian Eder and Emily Schultheis analyze the results, exploring what they say about the direction of German politics and the implications for the European Union.

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.