CDU/CSU candidate Friedrich Merz is now the favorite to succeed Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Merz has already declared victory, advocating for “independence” from the United States by stating that the current American administration is indifferent to Europe’s fate.
Conservative CDU/CSU candidate Friedrich Merz declared victory in Sunday’s German parliamentary election. He pledged to form a government representing the whole republic and address the country’s challenges, preferring one coalition partner over two. Chancellor Scholz acknowledged the SPD’s election defeat, describing the result as bitter. Green Party’s Robert Habeck defended his party’s respectable 13% of the vote, while AfD’s Alice Weidel stated that her party is prepared to enter a coalition government. Weidel also claimed that the CDU’s manifesto closely mirrors the AfD’s, raising questions about the viability of a coalition involving left-wing parties.
The process of forming a coalition can range from weeks to months. In 2017, coalition negotiations took almost six months, leaving the country without a government. The German chancellor is chosen by the German president presenting a candidate to the Bundestag. A candidate must secure an absolute majority to win the vote. The German electoral system aims to produce coalition governments through a two-ballot system, with each voter casting their first ballot for a direct candidate and their second ballot for a political party. The number of second ballots determines the relative strength of parties in the Bundestag, with parties needing at least 5% of the total vote to secure representation.
Edited by: Michaela Cavanagh
