Germany’s political landscape is undergoing a major shift following the latest elections, with a likely coalition forming between the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD). The CDU emerged as the leading party with 28.5% of the vote, followed by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) backed by one in five Germans with 20.8%. The SPD recorded its worst result in 138 years with 16.4%, the left-wing Die Linke saw notable gains, while the Greens faced losses.
Voter participation in Germany reached a record high of 82.5 percent, marking the highest rate since 1987. The preliminary results of the so-called “Bundestag elections” has defined the composition of the German federal parliament for the next four years, with the new government expected to take office by 25 March.
The left-populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) and the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) failed to secure seats in parliament after falling short of the 5% threshold required for representation, with FDP politicians Lindner and Kubicki announcing their withdrawal. The BSW came particularly close, garnering 4.97% of the vote, narrowly missing the cut-off despite hopes that late returns might push them over the line.
During post-election broadcasts, party leaders stressed their desire to avoid prolonged coalition negotiations. The CDU announced plans to form a new government before Easter, with the SPD now considered its most likely coalition partner. The CDU cited the current foreign policy landscape as the primary reason for its push to expedite the process. SPD officials have mooted leadership changes following the election defeat, though Chancellor Olaf Scholz has not yet commented on his position.
Among the candidates, four Kurdish politicians have been elected to the German parliament for the next term. Serdar Yüksel was elected by the SPD; Kassem Tahir Saleh by the Green Party and Gökay Akbulut and Ferat Koçak by the Left Party.
Statistics show that the Left Party was especially successful among young people, garnering 25% of 18- to 24-year-olds’ votes, but a rise of nationalist and fascist tendencies can also be polarising trend can also be observed among young people, with 20% giving their votes to the far-right AfD.
