The German chancellor has seen many other leaders come and go.
A so-called 'Jamaica coalition' has never held the balance of power in Germany before.
Politics aside, the personal life of Germany's Angela Merkel is highly guarded.
Alice Weidel had been seen as a more moderate face of the AfD.
The Chaos Computer Club showed how easy it is to manipulate votes between candidates.
The 38-year-old Alice Weidel sees no contradiction between her sexuality and her party's views on homosexuality.
The shock result could be a sign of things to come for the nation's 80 million inhabitants.
The poll lead is crucial ahead of voting in the coming weeks.
Polls in Germany's largest state have narrowed in recent weeks.
A similar account was set up by the same person to humanise Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Petry has headed the party since 2015 but has come under fire from members in recent months.
Chancellor has come under pressure after allowing more than a million migrants into the country in 2015.
A series of key state elections will be an indicator of which way the national poll may go.
The size of the win for the CDU came as a surprise to Merkel's SPD opposition.
Victory would boost German chancellor's prospects of securing fourth term in September election.
One leader just starting out at president, the other battling to win their fourth election
Polls have narrowed in recent weeks but Merkel's CDU still maintain an edge.
Here are some of the best pictures of political floats during carnival parades across Germany:
Global ratings agency says rising support for anti-EU agendas poses extreme risk to EU integration.