GERMANY 2021
GERMAN ELECTIONS
BY KARL MATHIESEN AND ZIA WEISE
CLIMATE IS THE KINGMAKER IN GERMAN COALITION-BUILDING The two parties crucial to forming a post-election government differ starkly on climate and energy policy
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limate policy is one of the keys to forming a new German government. But with the two smaller parties crucial to forming a post-election majority coalition having utterly different philosophies on how to reach
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Germany’s climate goals, the issue will be a major faultline in upcoming talks. The election of 25th September saw the Social Democratic Party (SPD) take a narrow win with 25.7 per cent over 24.1 per cent for the Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU). The Greens
came third with 14.8 per cent, while the liberal Free Democrats (FDP), according to preliminary official figures, were fourth with 11.5 per cent. Now the Greens and FDP are planning a common approach to bargain more effectively with the two bigger groupings.
