There has been a lot of uncertainty surrounding Germany’s federal election. But one thing is clear: Angela Merkel is not running again. As the traditional catch-all Volksparteien – the Christian Democrats and the Social Democrats – have lost traction in recent years, three candidates compete to replace her. In the final days before Germans take to the...

Since the beginning of August, the Social Democrats have seen a jump from 16 to 26 percent in opinion polls in the final weeks of Germany’s federal election campaign. The SPD’s Kanzlerkandidat Olaf Scholz is largely credited with this turnaround. In snap polls following each of the three television debates between the three candidates for chancellor, Scholz...

With less than a week to go, the race to succeed Angela Merkel as Germany’s next chancellor has become a nail-biter. The results of Germany’s federal election will determine the coalition talks for a new German government and the ultimate course of the country’s political future. To unpack one of Germany’s most unpredictable and transformative...

As the dust settles after Germany’s historic election and parties engage in complex negotiations to form a governing coalition, questions will abound concerning the foreign policy priorities of the new government – and what the end of the Merkel era means for Germany, Europe, and the world. What are the key issues that will shape...

On September 26, 2021, German federal elections will be held to elect the 20th Bundestag – the first in 16 years without Angela Merkel standing as leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). Join us for an online conversation about the implications of these elections for Germany, the European Union, and the world, with Jeff Rathke, President...