Voting Begins in High-Stakes German Election, Closely Watched by Europe and the US
Germans are heading to the polls in a crucial election, where the country’s struggling economy and a series of deadly attacks have put immigration and security at the center of the debate.
Sixty-nine-year-old conservative leader Friedrich Merz is in the lead to become Germany’s next chancellor in an election being closely monitored by Europe and the United States. He has promised to solve most of Germany’s problems within four years—a challenging task for Europe’s largest economy with its weakening infrastructure.
If Merz’s Christian Democrats (CDU) win, he will have to form a coalition with at least one other party, most likely Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD), whose government collapsed last year.
No Alliance with the Far-Right:
On the eve of the election, Merz firmly ruled out any coalition with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), despite the party’s rising influence and potential to become the second-largest political force.
A total of 59.2 million Germans are eligible to vote. While millions have already cast their ballots by mail, nearly 20% of voters were undecided going into election day.
Voting closes at 18:00 local time (17:00 GMT), with preliminary results expected by the evening.
Ukraine War and Global Diplomacy:
Merz has pledged strong leadership in Europe, but Berlin is under increasing pressure to boost military spending. As the second-largest provider of military aid to Ukraine, Germany’s next government will face a U.S. president who has criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and weakened the West’s united stance against Russia.
German political leaders were also taken aback by U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s decision to meet with AfD’s chancellor candidate Alice Weidel and advocate for breaking the long-standing political taboo against engaging with the far-right, known in Germany as the “Brandmauer” (firewall).
Immigration and Security Issues:
Immigration and security have dominated the election following five deadly attacks since May, including three during the campaign period. A stabbing incident at Berlin’s Holocaust Memorial on Friday, carried out by a Syrian attacker with an alleged antisemitic motive, has further fueled the debate.
The AfD has embraced a controversial policy called “remigration,” which calls for the deportation of criminal migrants. However, critics argue that the term implies mass deportations of immigrants and their descendants.
AfD’s Popularity Among Young Voters:
While the AfD has traditionally been strong in eastern Germany, its support is growing rapidly in the west, particularly among young voters through social media platforms like TikTok. One campaign video featuring Alice Weidel has garnered over four million views.
In last year’s European elections, the AfD made significant gains in Germany’s former industrial heartland, particularly in areas suffering from economic decline and unemployment.
One young voter stated, “We are young, we need jobs, but there are no training opportunities. Everything is expensive, and the cities are becoming dirtier.”
Although the AfD is not known for its social policies, its tough stance on security resonates with voters, many of whom do not see the party as extreme.
Coalition Government and Parliamentary Structure:
Germany’s parliament (Bundestag) has been reduced to 630 seats for this election. If fewer parties enter parliament, forming a stable coalition government will be easier.
The market-friendly Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the left-wing populist BSW are struggling to meet the 5% threshold needed to enter parliament. However, the Left Party has recently gained momentum and could become the fifth-largest party after the Greens.
