2021 Bundestag elections
Germany to pick Merkel successor
Germany will be going to the polls on 26 September 2021. After 16 years at the helm of the German government, Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel is not running for another term. Who will succeed her?
Who will follow Merkel?
Germany will be electing a new Bundestag (the country’s parliament) in September, as well as a new head of government. All candidates with a serious chance of winning have now been nominated.
These are the parties represented in the Bundestag. Discover all the key facts here:
The oldest party
The SPD finds its origins in Germany’s oldest political parties. The Social Democrats still has close ties to unions and workers to this day.
The environmental party
Protection of the environment was the motivation for establishing the Greens in the early 1980s. Today they co-govern in various coalitions.
The legacy of the GDR
Die Linke is the democratic successor to the former Social Unity Party of Germany in the GDR.
Shaping German foreign policy
The liberal FDP with its close ties to business has seen its importance decline of late. In its heyday, its foreign ministers influenced European history.
The sister parties
The sister parties CDU and CSU, known as the “Union” for short, form the traditionally strongest party in Germany, though they will have to cope with the departure of Angela Merkel.
Pretty far right
The right-wing populist AfD wants to leave the EU and abolish the euro. It rejects immigration and measures to fight climate change.
How German democracy functions at the federal level:
How German politics decides
Corona measures, organ donations and euthanasia: we explain how German politicians make decisions on ethical questions.
Parties and political foundations in Germany
Go to this portals to find out more about the programs and the issues of all the political parties and their factions currently representing the citizens of Germany. With just one click you can also access the pages of the party-affiliated foundations.
Quick facts
709
seats in the Bundestag
The parliament consists of at least 709 MPs.
299
constituencies
Constituencies are so divided that there are about the same number of voters in each.
299
direct mandates
The politician who receives the most votes in a constituency enters parliament with a direct mandate.
4,828
candidates
ran for election as MPs in 2017.
5
per cent
Only parties that have received at least five per cent of the second votes may enter the Bundestag.
42
parties
are running in the 2017 Bundestag elections.
60,4
million
German citizens are eligible to vote.
18
years of age
is the minimum required age to vote and to run for office.
76.2
was the percentage
of voter turnout in the 2013 Bundestag elections.
Want to understand German politics? Then you should familiarise yourself with the following topics:
Myths and realities
Manfred Güllner, the well-known opinion researcher, explains how the “electoral successes” of the right-wing populist AfD should really be assessed.
Women vote differently
Women in Germany have had the right to vote for 100 years. Why they nevertheless sometimes cast their vote less often than men, and what parties they prefer.
Equal rights in politics?
One of the most powerful women in the world governs Germany. Does that mean German politics has a high proportion of women? Here are the figures.
The German State
What tasks are the governmental agencies and offices responsible for in Germany and in Europe? Here you will find links to the state, politics and democracy. And you can also contact public authorities and take advantage of services for the citizens.
Germany has a federal system. Get to know the 16 federal states here:
Federal States of Germany
Whether you’re interested in economic regions, research centers, natural landscapes or cultural scenes – here you’re given an overview.
Find out everything about the 2017 Bundestag elections here:
Germany after the elections
Everything about the 2017 German general elections and the latest developments on the formation of a new government.