Turning point? Germany’s elections and the future of Europe
EPC Elections Monitor, YouTube, 24.02.2025
Online Briefing
On February 23, Germany held snap parliamentary elections following the collapse of the “traffic light coalition” between the social-democrats, the Greens and the liberals. The centre-right CDU/CSU are leading in the polls but will most probably need one or two coalitions partners to have a majority in the Bundestag. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) could become the second largest group in the Parliament.
While Germany is reassessing its economic and security model in the wake of the war in Ukraine and the election of Donald Trump in the United States, migration has emerged as the most salient and polarising issue during the campaign. The CDU’s decision to vote for a motion on migration with the support of the AfD broke the long-standing "firewall” against the extreme right. Subsequently, it triggered a nationwide wave of protests and raised questions about a potential cooperation after the elections.
This EPC online Election Monitor analyseed the election results and their broader implications for Germany and the EU: What will be the main challenges for the next government? Will it be more stable than the outgoing coalition? What do the election results mean for Germany’s leadership in the EU? How will coalition negotiations shape Germany’s domestic and EU agendas on issues such as economy, defence, migration or support to Ukraine?
Speakers: Almut Möller, Director for European and Global Affairs and head of Europe in the World, European Policy Centre; Janis A. Emmanouilidis, Deputy Chief Executive & Director of Studies, European Policy Centre; Philipp Lausberg, Senior Policy Analyst, European Policy Centre
Moderator: Corina Stratulat, Associate Director and Head of European Politics and Institutions, European Policy Centre
Link to video on YouTube here
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