Olaf Scholz

The new German chancellor will come from one of the old parties but the policies will be shaped by the young

The new German chancellor will come from one of the old parties but the policies will be shaped by the young

BY: Anke Hassel* PEJOURNAL - German Federal election ended an astonishing campaign run, unprecedented in the country’s postwar history. Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union party experienced a landslide defeat, not only losing about a quarter of its vote share, a number of important constituencies – including the one that Merkel herself held – but also ending up in third place in three of the eastern states of Germany, behind the Social Democrats and the rightwing, populist AfD. Since 2015, the Christian Democrats have gone from being the dominant force in German politics, almost invincible and the only remaining dominant party…
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Mapping the issues that produced the German federal election result

Mapping the issues that produced the German federal election result

PEJOURNAL - What policy issues determined support for parties during the 2021 German federal election? Davide Angelucci, Lorenzo De Sio, Heiko Giebler and Werner Krause present conclusions from an analysis of the key topics that encouraged vote-switching during the campaign. They find the SPD’s victory was mainly driven by its credibility on economic issues. The 2021 German federal election was a showcase for electoral volatility – not just in terms of the result, but also in relation to changes in the polling during the campaign. But while the strengths and weaknesses of the leading candidates were clearly of great importance,…
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Landmark election in Germany and its European consequences

Landmark election in Germany and its European consequences

PEJOURNAL - Germany held a landmark and important election on Sunday, September 26, 2021. The election will put an end to the 16-year chancellorship of Angela Merkel, who led the country for four consecutive terms. More than 60 million Germans over 18 years of age are eligible to vote. It should be noted that in Germany, the executive power takes its legitimacy from legislative power. Bundestag nationwide election is considered as the most important political event of the country at the federal level. Although the result of elections announced immediately but it may take several months until negotiations to form…
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