Germany elections - 10 things to know with detail
- 1. The German federal election is held every four years to elect members of the Bundestag, the lower house of the German parliament.
- 2. The most recent federal election took place on September 26, 2021, with Angela Merkel stepping down after serving as Chancellor for 16 years.
- 3. The election resulted in a fragmented parliament, with no party winning an outright majority. The Social Democratic Party (SPD) won the most seats, followed by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Green Party.
- 4. The SPD's candidate, Olaf Scholz, emerged as the winner of the election and is set to become the next Chancellor of Germany.
- 5. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party saw a decrease in support compared to previous elections, while the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) and left-wing Die Linke party also secured seats in the Bundestag.
- 6. Voter turnout for the 2021 election was around 76%, slightly higher than the previous election in 2017.
- 7. The election result marked a shift in German politics, with the SPD, Greens, and FDP forming a coalition government, known as the "traffic light coalition" due to the parties' colors representing traffic lights.
- 8. The new government is expected to focus on climate change, social justice, and economic recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 9. The election also saw a notable increase in the number of female members of parliament, with women making up around 40% of the Bundestag.
- 10. The outcome of the election is likely to have significant implications for Germany's domestic and foreign policy, as well as its role in the European Union and on the global stage.