2002 German federal election

2002 German federal election
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Country	Germany
Type	parliamentary
Previous election	1998 German federal election
Previous year	1998
Election date	22 September 2002
Next election	2005 German federal election
Next year	2005
Seats for election	All 603 seats in the Bundestag
Majority seats	302
Turnout	79.1% ( 3.2 pp)
Leader1	Gerhard Schröder
Party1	SPD
Last election1	298 seats, 40.9%
Seats1	251
Seat change1	47
Popular vote1	18,488,668
Percentage1	38.5%
Swing	2.4 pp
Leader2	Edmund Stoiber
Party2	CDU/CSU
Last election2	245 seats, 35.1%
Seats2	248
Popular vote2	18,482,641
Percentage2	38.5%
Swing	3.4 pp
Leader3	Joschka Fischer
Party3	Alliance 90/The Greens
Last election3	47 seats, 6.7%
Seats3	55
Popular vote3	4,110,355
Percentage3	8.6%
Swing	1.9 pp
Image4	150px
Leader4	Guido Westerwelle
Party4	FDP
Last election4	43 seats, 6.2%
Seats4	47
Popular vote4	3,538,815
Percentage4	7.4%
Swing	1.2 pp
Image5	150px
Leader5	Gregor Gysi
Party5	PDS
Last election5	36 seats, 5.1%
Seat change5	34
Popular vote5	1,916,702
Percentage5	4.0%
Swing	1.1 pp
Before election	Gerhard Schröder
Before party	SPD
After election	Gerhard Schröder
After party	SPD

2002 German federal election was held on 22 September 2002 to elect the members of the 15th Bundestag. The election resulted in an extremely narrow victory for the incumbent SPD-led coalition government under Chancellor Gerhard Schröder over the opposition alliance of the CDU/CSU led by Edmund Stoiber. The outcome was heavily influenced by Schröder's handling of major flooding in eastern Germany and his firm opposition to the Iraq War plans of U.S. President George W. Bush.

Background

The governing coalition of the SPD and Alliance 90/The Greens, known as the Red–Green coalition, had been in power since the 1998 German federal election. Chancellor Gerhard Schröder's first term was marked by economic challenges, including high unemployment and debates over domestic reforms like the Hartz concept. The main opposition, the CDU/CSU bloc, nominated Edmund Stoiber, the Minister-President of Bavaria, as its candidate for chancellor. The political landscape was also shaped by the smaller parties, the FDP under Guido Westerwelle and the PDS, which was struggling to maintain its representation in the Bundestag.

Campaign

The electoral campaign was dominated by two major external events. First, the severe 2002 European floods in August, particularly along the Elbe and Danube rivers, saw Chancellor Schröder engage in highly visible crisis management, which boosted his public standing. Second, Schröder took a firm stance against German participation in a potential Iraq War, aligning with public anti-war sentiment and contrasting sharply with the more ambiguous position of Edmund Stoiber. Domestic issues, such as economic policy and the Agenda 2010 reform proposals, were also central. The FDP campaigned on tax cuts, while Alliance 90/The Greens emphasized environmental policies and their popular foreign minister, Joschka Fischer.

Results

The election produced one of the closest results in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany. Both the SPD and the CDU/CSU bloc received exactly 38.5% of the second votes. However, due to a higher number of direct mandates won in constituencies, the SPD secured 251 seats to the Union's 248. The junior coalition partner, Alliance 90/The Greens, achieved its best federal result to date with 8.6% and 55 seats. The FDP also gained, reaching 7.4%. The PDS failed to clear the 5% electoral threshold, winning only 4.0% nationally and securing just two direct mandates in Berlin, from candidates Gregor Gysi and Gesine Lötzsch.

Aftermath

The razor-thin margin led to a period of political uncertainty. The incumbent Red–Green coalition retained a narrow majority of 306 seats in the 603-seat Bundestag. The defeat was a significant personal setback for Edmund Stoiber, who returned to his post as Minister-President of Bavaria. The strong showing by Alliance 90/The Greens solidified the position of Joschka Fischer as Vice-Chancellor and Foreign Minister. The near-elimination of the PDS prompted a strategic re-evaluation that would later contribute to the formation of The Left.

Government formation

Following the election, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder swiftly initiated negotiations with Alliance 90/The Greens to renew the governing coalition. The second Schröder cabinet was sworn in on 22 October 2002. Key portfolios remained with senior figures like Joschka Fischer at the Foreign Affairs (Germany|Foreign Affairs (Germany|Foreign Affairs (Germany|Foreign Affairs (Germany)|Foreign Minister. The coalition. The coalition. The coalition. The coalition. The coalition. 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