Germany will vote today for a new Bundestag amid a tense political climate, where the rise of the far-right has raised serious concerns about the future of German democracy.
A total of at least 59.1 million Germans are eligible to vote, with 7 million of them being voters of foreign origin. The candidate with the best chances of becoming Germany’s chancellor is Friedrich Merz of the CDU.
Recent polls show that the CDU/CSU, the center-right party, is in first place with 30.1% of the votes. The second place is taken by the Alternative for Germany (AfD), a partly far-right party, with 20.2%.
The third place is held by the Social Democratic Party (SPD), a center-left party, with 15.3%. The Greens have 13.2%, while 3.9% of German voters remain undecided about who they will vote for.
Some foreign observers suggest that despite the strengthening of the AfD, this party is not expected to play any significant role at the federal level. All parties have ruled out cooperation with them. Merz has repeatedly emphasized his distancing from AfD.
According to the polls, the most likely outcome is a coalition between the CDU/CSU and the Social Democrats (SPD). This kind of coalition has led Germany four times since the end of World War II.
