EU

A gentle bend to the left

EU
Published on 30 September 2021

In Germany’s federal elections held on 26 September, Olaf Scholz's Social Democratic Party (SPD) won the most votes with 25.7 percent, followed by Armin Laschet's conservative CDU-CSU (24.1 percent). Die Grüne (Greens) came third, with 14,8 percent, followed by the Liberal Democrats (FDP), with 11.5 percent, and the the far-right AfD with 10.3 percent.

The parties will now have to form a coalition, which could take several weeks or even months. While Scholz is favourite for Chancellor, the title can only be awarded once a majority has been reached.

The most likely scenario is a "traffic light" coalition between the red SPD, the yellow FDP and the Greens. Not that there’s any shortage of options: a "German" coalition involving the black CDU-CSU, and the SPD and FDP; a "red-green" coalition of SPD, Die Linke (radical left, 5 percent) and the Greens; or a "Jamaica" coalition involving the CDU-CSU, the Greens and FDP.

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