Update: Germany's projected election results | DW News

When voters cast their ballots on February 23, 2025, they won't directly elect the next German chancellor. Instead, they will elect politicians to the Bundestag, the lower house of German parliament. Unless a party wins an outright majority, the party with the most representatives in the Bundestag attempts to build a governing coalition. Such coalitions usually hold a parliamentary majority, with contemporary Germany only twice having had minority governments — in 1966 and 1982. Ordinarily, the party with the most votes in a ruling coalition appoints its declared chancellor candidate to lead the government.

Currently, the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), are ahead in polls compiled by the Berlin-based election research institute infratest dimap. The Union parties enjoy a lead of more than 10 percentage points over the far-right populist Alternative for Germany (AfD), which is polling second. The AfD has grown in popularity, and in September 2024 posted major gains in regional elections in the eastern states of Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg. The governing Social Democratic Party (SPD) and Greens follow in third and fourth place, while the neoliberal Free Democratic Party (FDP), which was previously part of a three-way governing coalition, is running last.

The German electoral system is designed to produce coalition governments. It seeks to unite the principles of majority rule and proportional representation. In German elections, each voter casts two ballots — the so-called "Erststimme" and "Zweitstimme" (first ballot, second ballot). The first ballot is cast for a "direct" candidate from a voter's constituency, the second is cast for a political party. The names of each party's candidates for the Bundestag appear on Landeslisten, or state lists, that must be filed with election authorities prior to the election. Candidates on state lists enter parliament according to their place on the list and the number of seats their party wins in a respective state — the more seats they win in a state, the more candidates from their state lists are appointed to fill them. These votes are key — the more second ballots a party receives, the more seats it is allotted in the parliament. Thus, the second vote determines the relative strength of the parties represented in the Bundestag. First and second ballots do not have to be cast for candidates from the same party. Voters are free to cast ballots for someone from one party with their first ballot and for a completely different party with their second. Any party that wins more than 5% of the total vote is guaranteed a place in the Bundestag.

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[extraterrestrialfascisti]

Germany replaced Olaf with a different kind of Olaf.

[post_eternity]

I wish elections in Africa were like this, very fast.

[liberty-matrix]

"President Donald Trump has already changed the mindset of the whole Western world, that's where we are at this moment and it's very good for Hungary." ~Viktor Orbán, Prime Minister

[RickGods]

Sooner or later ADF will become 1st choice, wait an see

[MichaelSmith-pxev]

Another country another result of extreme polarisation of right and left. Is social media and the way we consume information failing society ?

[alanparker]

next time try listening to your fellow citizens, instead of branding them as deplorables

[Kim-J]

The biggest gain was Afd +10 . Germany needs to take into consideration their wants/needs, because next time Afd will win, instead of ignoring the largest gain of voters

[cmdrvex]

If the FDP and BSW have not reached 5%, why did you show them with 33 seats each in the subsequent graphic?

[MeowAdi]

People want Islamfreies Deutschland. And they voted for people who can achieve that

[markey]

This looks like its going to be a Very weird collation of 3 parties to form a government, the right and left will have to work together and meet in the center

[alanparker]

All of the G7 leaders changed within the past year except for Italy lmao

[Samng]

How can u could decide anything with so many stakeholder.

[mithunraj]

Do Germany uses electronic voting machine like in India ? !

[teacheronthego]

Ooooh, the CDU CANNOT ignore AfD. That's the people of Germany speaking.

[toninica]

It is the same in the case of Romania. Two parties that have approximately the same ideology are allied and the majority will be obtained. But in the case of Germany, with whom will AFD and the green party ally, separately? Because the greens do not have the same ideology as AFD.

[consciouscrypto]

I wish I could have visited Germany while it was still German. I fear now that before I can make it it will have become like Sweden or the UK, fast on the way toward the same end as Lebanon and Egypt.

[hariseldon]

Sadly, if it is business as usual with the Conservatives in - then based on current performance regarding the economy, free speech, culture, and immigration - Germany is screwed!

[jrtstrategicapital]

I hope the two biggest party winners create a coalition and focus on the major top 5 objectives people want. It would be a good balance..similar to the "YIN YANG" balance in life.

[faarfaar]

So we have one of the old guard, symbol of all that is wrong.
And a new afd lite leader.
If this coalition doesn't fix the german house, it's all too easy for the afd.

[DarahanDhesi]

My comments got deleted. Not surprised with the German CNN. Good luck Germany