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Domestic Politics – Elections

Salle plénière du parlement allemand (Deutscher Bundestag)
Salle plénière du parlement allemand (Deutscher Bundestag)

The Domestic Politics – Elections research axis within the Committee on Franco-German Relations at Ifri provides an analysis of the German domestic politics, its dynamics, the evolution of the party systems, and the electoral geography of the German Federal Republic. It tackles the relations between the political sphere and society and economic structures. A particular attention is payed to the electoral process in the different “Länder” because of the specificities of the German federal system. The recent political evolutions, with the emergence of new forms of coalitions in the different “Länder” and at the federal level, as well as the persistent differences in the political behaviors between East and West Germany, 30 years after the reunification, will influence political evolutions at the federal level (“Bund”).

The Cerfa at Ifri analyzes these topics along numerous “Notes du Cerfa” and public events which will help understand electoral campaigns, but also the overarching consequences of the election results on the Franco German cooperation at the regional and national level and on the role, Germany embodies on the European and international stage.

Éric-André MARTIN

Secretary General of the Study Committee on Franco-German Relations (Cerfa)

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Marie KRPATA

Research Fellow, Study Committee on Franco-German Relations (Cerfa) 

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Jeanette SÜẞ

Research Fellow, Study Committee on Franco-German Relations (Cerfa) 

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Hans STARK

Counselor on Franco-German relations at Ifri

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05/10/2021

The German federal elections of September 26, 2021 were marked by the departure of the outgoing chancellor, Angela Merkel, who was not seeking re-election. The scattering of the vote and the high volatility of voters have led to a redefinition of the landscape and geography of parties in...

22/09/2021

At the heart of the European project, the Franco-German tandem provides impetus for further integration within the EU. However, Brussels is yet to decide which direction it wants to take, and the French and Germans still have to agree on their position with regards to economics,...

09/09/2021
By: Adrian SCHLEGEL, Aram ZIAI

In recent years, Germany’s Africa politics have been characterized by proactive international initiatives and the claim for a "partnership at eye level". However, a look at the power constellations of its cooperation indicates that inequalities are – contrary to Germany’s own claims – rather...

20/07/2021
By: Manfred ÖHM

German development cooperation (GDC) in a post-Merkel era can be expected to become more geopolitical. Recently adopted German policy documents like the Indo-Pacific guidelines as well as the support to the geopolitical ambition of the European Commission suggest such a tendency for future...

13/07/2021
By: Etienne DUBSLAFF

Just like most of the European Social-Democratic parties, the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) has been going through a major crisis for several decades. Its centrism that got Gerhard Schröder elected in 1998 and 2002 is seen as a betrayal by the party's traditional...

05/07/2021
By: Wolfgang ZELLNER

As an essential platform for multilateralism, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has always been important to German diplomacy, although in varying degrees. Historically, Germany’s support for the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe...

21/06/2021

The German EU presidency in the second half of 2020 was Angela Merkel’s last presidency, shortly before her chancellorship ends in 2021. It was therefore expected that the Chancellor would use all her experience and influence to achieve positive results.

17
Jan
2022
Monday 17 January 2022
from 11:30 to 13:00 - Videoconferences

The end of Angela Merkel's term of office marks the beginning of a new political era in Germany. Known for its stability and the longevity of its leaders, German politics will now be dominated by three parties in a so-called "Traffic Light" coalition comprising the Social Democratic Party (SPD...

17
Nov
2021
Wednesday 17 November 2021
from 17:00 to 18:30 - Seminars and Round-table Conferences

Germany's September Parliamentary elections opened the way for coalition negotiations that may last until December. Yet first hints at directions and red lines in energy and climate policy can be identified as the country must prepare for an accelerated decarbonisation. 

29
Sep
2021
Wednesday 29 September 2021
from 14:00 to 15:30 - Videoconferences

On September 26, 2021, German Federal Elections will be held, and mark the end of the Merkel era. The political equation is likely to be complicated because of the possible combinations and the difficulty for political parties to achieve a stable majority. Important choices are at stake for...

27/07/2021
By: Éric-André MARTIN, Paul MAURICE, quoted by Lara Marlowe in The Irish Times 

Macron set to become the uncontested leader of Europe with German chancellor’s exit. Chancellor Angela Merkel was not naturally inclined to focus on Franco-German relations. “She comes from the former East Germany, and her experience was of east bloc countries, especially&nbsp...