On Sunday, Germans are going to the polls to elect a new federal government. As of now only one thing is certain; Germany will have a new chancellor. But who that may be remains to be seen.
The SPD and their candidate Olaf Scholz have established a steady lead in the polls over recent weeks and are expected to win the highest percentage of votes. But even if they do win their projected 25% of the vote, the final government will be determined through math and negotiation skills. As it stands, whoever wants to govern would need two other parties to form a majority government with. The outcome remains impossible to predict and we will likely have to wait months for a definitive answer.
Portland’s Berlin team has put together a Guide to the German Election 2021 to provide an overview of what to expect on Sunday and during the negotiations that will follow. The guide provides an overview of the different political parties and likely coalitions, profiles of the chancellor candidates and a summary of party programs and positions on three key topics: Economy, Climate & Energy, and Digitisation.