2018 German federal election

2018 German federal election
Election name	2018 German federal election
Country	Germany
Type	parliamentary
Previous election	2017 German federal election
Previous year	2017
Next election	2021 German federal election
Next year	2021
Seats for election	All 709 seats in the Bundestag
Majority seats	355
Election date	24 September 2018
Turnout	76.2%
Leader1	Angela Merkel
Party1	CDU
Alliance1	CDU/CSU
Leaders seat1	Vorpommern-Rügen – Vorpommern-Greifswald I
Last election1	246 seats, 32.9%
Seats1	200
Seat change1	–46
Popular vote1	13,387,367
Percentage1	26.8%
Swing	–6.1%
Leader2	Martin Schulz
Party2	SPD
Leaders seat2	North Rhine-Westphalia
Last election2	153 seats, 20.5%
Seats2	153
Popular vote2	9,539,381
Percentage2	19.1%
Swing	–1.4%
Leader3	Alice Weidel, Alexander Gauland
Party3	AfD
Leaders seat3	Baden-Württemberg (Weidel), Brandenburg (Gauland)
Last election3	94 seats, 12.6%
Seats3	94
Popular vote3	5,878,115
Percentage3	11.8%
Swing	–0.8%
Image4	150px
Leader4	Christian Lindner
Party4	FDP
Leaders seat4	North Rhine-Westphalia
Last election4	80 seats, 10.7%
Seats4	80
Popular vote4	5,318,131
Percentage4	10.7%
Swing	0.0%
Image5	150px
Leader5	Katrin Göring-Eckardt, Anton Hofreiter
Party5	Greens
Leaders seat5	Thuringia (Göring-Eckardt), Bavaria (Hofreiter)
Last election5	67 seats, 8.9%
Seats5	67
Popular vote5	4,404,355
Percentage5	8.8%
Swing	–0.1%
Image6	150px
Leader6	Sahra Wagenknecht, Dietmar Bartsch
Party6	The Left
Leaders seat6	North Rhine-Westphalia (Wagenknecht), Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Bartsch)
Last election6	69 seats, 9.2%
Seats6	69
Popular vote6	4,297,270
Percentage6	8.6%
Swing	–0.6%
Title	Chancellor
Before election	Angela Merkel
Before party	CDU
After election	Angela Merkel
After party	CDU

Contents

Background
Election campaign
Results

2018 German federal election was held on 24 September 2018 to elect the members of the 19th Bundestag. It resulted in significant losses for the governing grand coalition partners, the CDU/CSU and the SPD, while the AfD solidified its position as the main opposition party. The fragmented outcome led to prolonged and complex negotiations to form a new government under incumbent Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Background

The election followed the 2017 German federal election, which had produced a politically fragmented Bundestag and led to months of difficult coalition talks. The resulting government was another grand coalition between the CDU, its Bavarian sister party CSU, and the SPD, led by Chancellor Angela Merkel. Key issues shaping the political landscape included ongoing debates over migration policy, Germany's role in the European Union, and responses to climate change. The rise of the AfD, which had entered the Bundestag for the first time in 2017, continued to influence political discourse. The tenure of Finance Minister Olaf Scholz and Interior Minister Horst Seehofer was marked by several domestic policy challenges.

Election campaign

The campaign was dominated by the CDU/CSU under Angela Merkel, who emphasized stability and her record, while the SPD, led by Martin Schulz, struggled to differentiate itself after years in coalition. The AfD, with leaders like Alice Weidel and Alexander Gauland, focused strongly on immigration and criticism of the Merkel government. The FDP, led by Christian Lindner, campaigned on economic liberalization, and The Greens, with Katrin Göring-Eckardt and Anton Hofreiter, prioritized environmental policy. Key campaign events included televised debates, such as the TV duel between Merkel and Schulz, and rallies across major cities like Berlin, Hamburg, and Munich. The CSU, led by Markus Söder, took a notably hardline stance on migration in Bavaria.

Results