German Federal Election: Merz Becomes Chancellor
Germany held an early federal election on 23 February 2025, seven months ahead of schedule, after the collapse of Olaf Scholz's three-party coalition the previous November. The government of Social Democrats, Greens and Free Democrats had fought publicly over the constitutional debt brake and the budget for most of its term, and ended when Scholz dismissed his finance minister, Christian Lindner, and lost the confidence vote he then called. The CDU/CSU under Friedrich Merz won with 28.5 per cent, its second-worst result ever and enough to lead a government. The Social Democrats fell to 16.4 per cent, their worst since the founding of the Federal Republic. The Alternative für Deutschland doubled its vote to 20.8 per cent and came second — the strongest result for a party of the far right in postwar Germany, built on immigration, energy prices and near-total dominance in the east. The Free Democrats fell below the five per cent threshold and left parliament. Merz formed a coalition with the SPD and became Chancellor in May 2025, having failed on the first ballot — the first time a designated chancellor had ever lost one. Before taking office he used the outgoing parliament to pass constitutional amendments exempting defence spending above one per cent of GDP from the debt brake and creating a €500 billion infrastructure fund, reversing a fiscal doctrine he had campaigned on. The firewall against cooperation with the AfD held, and was strained by a January migration vote that passed with its support. The AfD was formally designated a confirmed right-wing extremist organisation by domestic intelligence in May 2025, a classification suspended pending litigation.
- Year: 2025 CE
- Category: Political
