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Election day – a day that reshapes the nation. As voters cast their ballots and politicians hold their breath, the clock is ticking in the Focus Online newsroom. Even before the polling stations close, the news marathon is in full swing. Projections, early results, unexpected twists – every decimal point can shift the political landscape. Will a coalition between the CDU/CSU and SPD be possible? Or will the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance block a two-party government?
We spent the night in the newsroom with the Focus Online team. Here’s how the election night unfolded, minute by minute.
Sunday, February 23, 2025, 5:00 PM: One more hour until the polls close. In the Focus Online newsroom, a tense silence fills the air: 40 editors are glued to their screens, special broadcasts are already running, and push notifications from news agencies are activated. The first exit polls give a sense of where the night is headed. All eyes are on the first official projections.
5:40 PM: Focus Online's Editor-in-Chief, Florian Festl, gives a final speech. He rallies the team: “These are the nights we live for. They challenge us, but they also drive us. This is our moment to make history!!” Everyone in the room knows: from this moment on, every second counts. Silence and total concentration.
5:54 PM: The editors are at their desks. Nor a sound in the room. The tension is rising.
6:01 PM: This is the moment everyone has been waiting for: the first projections flash across the screens. The CDU/CSU is in lead, with the AfD as the second-strongest party. Within seconds, the data is processed— numbers analyzed, videos produced, articles written. Keyboards clatter. The first breaking-news alert on the projections is sent out at 6:03 PM to two million app subscribers.
6:05 PM: Voter turnout is announced. According to ARD projections, it stands at 84 percent—the highest since 1987. A murmur of approval spreads through the newsroom.
6:15 PM: The first opinion piece by Editor-in-Chief Florian Festl goes live. He outlines the kind of leader Friedrich Merz needs to be—and the hurdles the new government must overcome. "Regardless of tonight’s numbers, what this country needs now is a fundamental and well-structured fresh start," he writes.
6:20 PM: While the tension of months of campaigning fades at party headquarters, in the newsroom, it's just hitting its peak. The team anticipates readers' biggest questions: Will the FDP make it into parliament? How stable could the next government be? What do we need to analyze next?
6:36 PM: “Quiet, please!” calls out the editor on duty, Maik Mosheim. He’s the captain of the Focus Online newsroom, steering the team through the night like a DJ managing the homepage. His job: ensuring no crucial topic gets overlooked and everyone stays on track. At his side: news manager Till Dörken, who keeps the live ticker updated with the latest developments.
6:40 PM: Alongside articles and graphics, video content is key tonight. Journalist Carolin Blüchel steps in front of the camera, interviewing Chief Correspondent Ulrich Reitz. Live from Berlin, he gives his first take on the results. His verdict: Merz has won—but the strong AfD showing will make things complicated.
6:42 PM: The first video reaction from the Chancellor appears in the ticker. Scholz congratulates Merz on the election win: “Congratulations on your victory.” Meanwhile, the social media team is busy adapting the news for Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp Channels, X, and YouTube.
6:47 PM: One by one, party representatives step in front of the cameras. The newsroom echoes with live coverage. Some editors type furiously, pulling quotes; others compare statements to past positions or edit videos. Screens display news from competitors: NTV, Bild, T-Online, Spiegel, Welt, Handelsblatt. Keeping an eye on the competition is part of the job.
6:52 PM: The newsroom hums with energy. Teams messages and emails take too long—people shout across desks: “Can you tweak that headline?” or “We need a different image for the video!”
7:00 PM: The third round of projections is in. No major swings yet, but plenty remains uncertain. ARD numbers indicate a CDU/CSU-SPD coalition would work—but ZDF numbers suggest otherwise. “It’s going to be a long night,” an editor mutters.
7:15 PM: A brief moment to catch their breath—at least for a few minutes. The pizza delivery arrives, just as ARD, ZDF and other livestreams keep rolling. If necessary, the keyboard doubles as a plate—because the news won’t wait. The editors at the front lines—the Newsdesk—keep pushing updates. Headline after headline, the news keeps rolling in. "There’s no real time to breathe tonight. But that’s normal on an election night. That’s what makes this job exciting. The adrenaline rush—this is what I live for as a journalist," says Maik, his eyes locked on the screens in front of him.
7:34 PM: The fourth projection is in, this time with bigger shifts. The AfD breaks the 20-percent mark. The Greens take a hit. The FDP remains stuck at 4.9 percent, meaning they would fall out of parliament. The newsroom sends out its sixth breaking-news alert of the night.
7:38 PM: Pizza on their plates, eyes on the screens—it’s back to work. Every number, every development could be critical. How do they keep track of everything at this pace? "Practice, practice, practice," says Maik. "And a constant eye on X. That’s where the updates come in by the second."
7:40 PM: Suddenly, a breaking news story unrelated to the election: The Pope is suffering from severe kidney failure. Editor-on-duty Maik Mosheim stays calm: “We need to be quick, but our focus remains on the election—this is our second news priority.”
9:10 PM: The "Berliner Runde" is airing on the screens. The top candidates from all major parties are discussing the results. Which coalitions are possible? What reforms are on the table? The newsroom listens, analyzes, and writes. The journalists filter out the key messages: Merz appears cautiously satisfied. Did Christian Lindner just announce his resignation as FDP party leader? Every statement could become a headline.
9:30 PM: The next video shoot. This time, host Carolin Blüchel is joined in the studio by Editor-in-Chief Florian Festl. A live feed with Chief Correspondent Ulrich Reitz, reporting from Berlin. “In addition to the numbers, immediate political analysis is crucial,” Florian explains.
9:35 PM: The video team works at full speed. Timing is everything.
10:10 PM: The first colleagues begin to head home. Those who remain continue working, fully focused. It’s still unclear: Can the CDU/CSU and SPD manage to form a more stable two-party coalition? Or will they need a third partner, like the Greens, to secure a majority? That would make things even more complicated.
10:23 PM: FDP leader Christian Lindner announces his resignation on X. In addition to traditional media, the editors keep a close eye on the social media channels of party representatives. Boom: The next headline is set. The tenth breaking-news alert of the evening is sent out.
10:30 PM: The Focus Online election talk goes live.
11:00 PM: The numbers are starting to solidify, and the trends are becoming clearer: The FDP and BSW seem unlikely to make it into the Bundestag. The path for a CDU-SPD coalition would be clear. Press spokespeople respond, new interviews are posted online. Even after five hours of intense focus, the goal in the newsroom remains the same: Be the first to report.
Monday, February 24, 2025, 1:47 AM: All constituencies have been tallied. The final breaking news alert of the night is sent out.
1:57 AM: The last editors from the day shift shut their laptops, and the night shift takes over. The coverage rolls on; the news never stops flowing. An election day in the newsroom? Pure adrenaline. “It was a pulsating evening, and it will stay that way for the next few days,” summarizes Florian Festl.
1:58 AM: While Germany sleeps, the team is already working on the next updates—so that new stories are ready when the country wakes up in a few hours.
