German Election Results Reflect Fractured Political Climate

Alice Calcraft

On 23 February 2025, German citizens took to the polls to cast their votes on who they wanted to lead their country. With an increasingly divided political climate around the world, many people looked to Germany to set the tone of Europe’s position on the international stage. On Sunday night, exit polls revealed that the Christian Democratic Party (CDU) had achieved victory with 29% of the vote, returning Germany to Conservative hands. 

worst result since 1887, polling at 16% of the vote. 

The Conservative victory, expecting to award Friedrich Merz the Chancellorship after years of vying for the position, came in the wake of a fragmented, unpopular leadership in Germany. In November 2024, the incumbent Chancellor Olaf Scholz was forced to call for a swift election, scheduled 7 months earlier than necessary. Occurring on the same day in November of Trump’s victory in the US Presidential Election, a dispute over the country’s finances from the three-party coalition led by Scholz resulted in a collapse in government. In this election, Scholz’s party, the Social Democrats, achieved its worst result since 1887, polling at 16% of the vote. 

received the highest votes of a far-right party since the Second World War at 21% of votes,

However, the low Social Democrat numbers were not the only aspect of the election that came as a shock. The far-right party, Alternative for Deutschland (AfD), received the highest votes of a far-right party since the Second World War at 21% of votes, placing them in second place in the election. Pushing for policies focusing on immigration, crime, and energy costs, it has risen to popularity among young people at the second highest party voted for in the 18-24 age group after the left-wing Die Linke party.

However, it continues to be watched by domestic intelligence who suspect them as an extremist force, and many German citizens oppose the AfD’s decision for anti-immigration policies rather than focusing on other issues such as the climate crisis and poverty. Receiving notable endorsements prior to the election from Elon Musk and JD Vance, the US Vice-President, the party has recently been critiqued due to a key far-right figure, Bjorn Hocke, being permitted to remain despite his use of a banned Nazi slogan, Alles für Deutschland.

his desire to ‘achieve independence from the USA’

Looking to Germany’s future in the wake of this tumultuous election, Friedrich Merz desires to strengthen Germany’s power in European politics, focusing on issues such as Ukraine and battling the country’s finances. He has also spoken about his desire to ‘achieve independence from the USA’, believing that President Trump is ‘largely indifferent to Europe’s fate’. In addition, the fractured result has complicated the formation of government, as the Conservatives cannot rule in isolation as they do not hold a majority.

Rejecting the AfD despite leader Alice Wiedel’s insistence that ‘change won’t be possible in Germany’ without a coalition between the right and far-right parties, Merz is predicted to form a coalition with the Social Democrats. As a result, the AfD’s position at second in the election cements its place as the largest opposition party, worrying many people around the world as they look back to historic events regarding the far-right. 

‘change won’t be possible in Germany’ without a coalition between the right and far-right parties

With Germany’s political position as the largest country in the EU both economically and in terms of population, this election is a useful reflection of the world’s political climate. The result from young people is particularly interesting, as it reflects the wider divide between the left and far-right that has been seen around the world. The gender split is also particularly interesting, with young women tending to favour the left-wing Die Linke party, and young men supporting the far-right, in line with similar patterns in other international elections.

Whilst the election result has been confirmed, the still uncertain result of the coalition and uncertainty as to how Merz will fare with incoming threats from the far-right will leave people in and outside Germany apprehensive as to how the next months will play out.

Alice Calcraft