2017 German federal election

2017 German federal election
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Name	2017 German federal election
Country	Germany
Type	parliamentary
Date	24 September 2017
Seats for election	736 seats in the Bundestag
Election name	2017 German federal election

2017 German federal election The 2017 German federal election was held on 24 September 2017 to elect the members of the Bundestag, the federal parliament of Germany. This election was significant as it marked a substantial shift in the German political landscape. The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), known together as the Union, had traditionally been the leading parties in German politics. However, the election results showed a decline in their support. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, a far-right populist party, entered the Bundestag for the first time, gaining significant attention.

Background

In the years leading up to the 2017 election, Germany experienced a period of stability and economic growth under the leadership of Angela Merkel, who had been Chancellor of Germany since 2005. Merkel, a member of the CDU, led a grand coalition government with the Social Democratic Party (SPD) from 2013 to 2017. However, the SPD suffered significant losses in the election, partly due to its role in the grand coalition and the rise of the Green Party and other smaller parties.

Parties and candidates

The main parties contesting the 2017 federal election were: - Christian Democratic Union (CDU), led by Angela Merkel - Social Democratic Party (SPD), led by Martin Schulz and later Andrea Nahles - Alternative for Germany (AfD), led by Frauke Petry and Jörg Meuthen - Free Democratic Party (FDP), led by Christian Lindner - Alliance '90/The Greens, led by Cem Özdemir and Ricarda Lang - Christian Social Union (CSU), led by Horst Seehofer

Campaign

The campaign for the 2017 federal election focused on several key issues, including climate change, immigration, and European Union policies. The CDU/CSU campaigned on their record of economic stability and their approach to European integration. The SPD focused on social justice and workers' rights, while the AfD ran on an anti-immigration and nationalist platform. The FDP and Green Party emphasized economic and environmental policies, respectively.

Results

The results of the 2017 federal election were as follows: - CDU/CSU: 33.0% (CDU 26.8%, CSU 6.2%) - SPD: 20.5% - AfD: 12.6% - FDP: 10.7% - Alliance '90/The Greens: 8.9% The CDU/CSU remained the largest bloc in the Bundestag but lost their majority. The SPD suffered its worst result in the party's history, and the AfD entered the parliament for the first time.

Aftermath and government formation

Following the election, Angela Merkel began negotiations to form a new government. After exploratory talks with the FDP and Green Party failed, Merkel's CDU/CSU formed a coalition government with the SPD in 2018. This marked the beginning of a new grand coalition, with Merkel continuing as Chancellor of Germany and Martin Schulz initially declining a ministerial position but later becoming Speaker of the Bundestag. The formation of the government was significant as it showed the ongoing dominance of the CDU/CSU and SPD in German politics, despite the rise of other parties. Category:2017 German federal election