The political framework of Germany

Political Outline

Current Political Leaders

President: Frank-Walter Steinmeier (since 19 March 2017) - SPD
Chancellor: Olaf Scholz (since 8 December 2021) - SPD

Next Election Dates

Presidential: February 2027
Federal Parliament (Bundestag): 23 February 2025

Current Political Context

In 2024, Germany’s political landscape was marked by local and European elections as well as governmental changes. In September, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) achieved the most votes in the Saxony state election, while the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) won a plurality in the Thuringian state polls, marking the first time a far-right party achieved such a result in Germany since World War II.
At the federal level, the government encountered instability when Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition collapsed in November 2024, as disagreements with Finance Minister Christian Lindner of the Free Democratic Party (FDP) led to the loss of a motion of confidence on 15 December. Consequently, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier dissolved the Bundestag and called early federal elections for 23 February 2025.
Meanwhile, in the European Parliament elections of June 2024, the CDU/CSU alliance emerged as the largest German party, gaining seats compared to the 2019 ballot. The Greens and Social Democrats (SPD) saw slight losses, while the AfD made notable gains, reflecting the party's growing domestic support.
On the international stage, Germany remained a key player in European support for Ukraine amidst its war with Russia. In 2024, Germany increased its military aid to Ukraine, including defence supplies and additional financial assistance. Domestically, debates intensified over the scale of this support, with opposition parties voicing concerns about its economic impact.
In response to migration pressures, the government reinstated stricter border controls in September 2024, including checks on national land borders with EU members, aiming to curb irregular migration.

Main Political Parties

In Germany, parties require at least 5% of the national vote in order to secure representation in the Bundestag. Although based on a multi-party system, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) have historically dominated the political arena. The major parties include:

- Social Democratic Party (SPD): Centre-left, social democrats
- Christian Democratic Union (CDU): Conservative, Christian democratic
- Alternative for Germany (AfD): Far-right
- Bündnis90/die Gruenen: Left, green, social-liberism
- Free Democratic Party (FDP): Liberal, centre-right
- Christian-Social Union (CSU): Conservative, Christian Democratic; considered the ‘sister’ of CDU and based in Bayern
- Left Party (Die-Linke): Left-wing

Executive Power

The Head of Government is the Chancellor, and is elected by absolute majority in the Federal Assembly for a four year term. The Chancellor holds the executive power, which includes implementing the law and managing the everyday business of the country. The Federal Ministers (Council of Ministers) are appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Chancellor.

The Head of State is the President, elected for a five year term by the Federal Convention (which includes the members of the Federal Assembly and an equal number of delegates elected by the provincial legislatures). The role of the President is largely ceremonial.

Legislative Power

The legislative power in Germany is bicameral. The parliament consists of two chambers: the Bundestag (the lower house), currently 736 seats, whose members are elected by universal suffrage combining proportional and direct representation, for a four-year term. The second chamber is the Bundesrat (upper chamber), which has 69 statutory seats, and the members are the delegates of the 16 Länder (regions) of the country. There are no elections for the Bundesrat, and the term of its members is for four years. Its composition is determined by that of the regional governments. The government is directly or indirectly dependent on the support of parliament, which is generally expressed by a vote of confidence. The Chancellor can not dissolve the Parliament directly, but he/she can recommend the dissolution to the President in the event of a vote of no confidence in the Bundestag. Legislative power belongs to both the government and parliament. German citizens enjoy considerable political rights.

Indicator of Freedom of the Press

World Rank:

13/180

Indicator of Political Freedom

Ranking:

Free

Political Freedom:

1/7

Political freedom in the world (interactive map)
Source: Freedom in the World Report, Freedom House