German Federal Election 2013

Remove all ads!

The German federal election results are in, with the right-wing Christian Democratic Union securing 41.5% of the vote and 290 of the 630 parliamentary seats. Though the CDU won the election, they didn't win enough seats to form a majority government (316 required for majority), with their coalition partner (the Free Democratic Party) having lost all 93 of their seats. This is the best election result for the Christian Democratic Union since the reunification of Germany.

The Social Democratic Party only received 25.7% of the vote, securing 251 seats. The Left, the successor of the former Socialist Unity Party, which was the ruling communist party of East Germany, received 8.6% of the vote and 68 seats. Alliance '90/The Greens, an self-proclaimed environmentalist party, received 8.4% of the vote and 64 seats. In order to obtain representation in the parliament, a party's list must receive at least 5% of the vote (or win a constituency seat).

The Free Democratic Party faired the worst of the formerly parliamentary parties, having only received 4.8% of the vote and losing all 93 of their seats. Alternative for Germany, a recently formed anti-Euro (but still pro-EU/pro-Brussels) party, received 4.7% of the vote and didn't gain any seats. The Pirate received 2.2% of the vote. the far-right National Democratic Party received 1.3% of the vote. The right-wing populist movement, The Republicans, received 0.2% of the vote. And the Marxist–Leninist Party of Germany received 0.1% of the vote.

What's really interesting is how the next cabinet will be formed. The CDU could attempt to form a coalition with an opposition party. Alternatively, they could form a minority government and hope the opposition doesn't act obstructionist (blocking everything they try). It's also possible that all three left-wing parties will work together, combining their 319 seats to form a majority government.

 

I didn't vote. Neither during the elections, nor in this poll.

I didn't vote during the election, since I'm not a German citizen.

I didn't vote in this poll, because I have no idea what the parties' programmes are. I don't feel like using the Whal-o-Mat (the German Voting Advice Application) because I don't have sufficient knowledge of what is really going on at our beloved Eastern Neighbours.

I'm slightly interested in how this all turns out, though. What happens in Germany can have a decent or big influence on what happens here in Holland. (be it a strong economy or swollen rivers, military cooperation or onrushing tourists)

 

I may ditto MoN just a little here in that I'd like to know more about the German political parties before I'd vote for one (not that Arctic D didn't give a hint at what the parties politics are-because he did-but there is more to a policy than being defined as right or left.)


I've heard Free Democrats are similar to Libertarians here in the USA but, like I said, I don't know details.

That being said I don't find the German election uninteresting-I pay some attention to world politics plus Germany is currently a major player of the various nations in Europe.

 

I love Merkl. In fact, I love Germany in general. Quite happy for them to be the gaffers of Europe