Elections for the Bundestag on 24 September 2017 and their outcomes Cover Image

Wybory do Bundestagu z 24 września 2017 roku i ich następstwa
Elections for the Bundestag on 24 September 2017 and their outcomes

Author(s): Piotr Kubiak
Subject(s): Politics, Electoral systems
Published by: Instytut Zachodni im. Zygmunta Wojciechowskiego
Keywords: Germany; election for the Bundestag; party system; great coalition

Summary/Abstract: The author analyzes the results of the election for the Bundestag with special emphasis on the ongoing changes in the German party system. The elections of September 24, 2017 brought about significant changes on the German political scene: a strong representation of the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) made its debut in the Bundestag, six factions have formed in the parliament, the position of the great Volksparteien (CDU/CSU and SPD) has weakened, while the middle-sized parties (AfD, FDP, Die Linke and The Greens) have gained in strength. This is an effect of the growing fragmentation and polarization of the German party system. Such an election outcome caused problems with forming a stable federal government. In the author’s opinion, the results of the last election for the Bundestag were heavily influenced by the migration crisis, which deepened and accelerated the processes underway in the German party system and contributed to a good result of the anti-immigrant AfD.

  • Issue Year: 367/2018
  • Issue No: 02
  • Page Range: 7-37
  • Page Count: 31
  • Language: English, Polish