Germany is preparing for a national election on February 23, where the outcome could lead to tricky coalition building that may drag on for months. A recent poll shows the conservative CDU/CSU bloc led by Friedrich Merz consistently in first place, with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) gaining ground.
The latest Forsa survey also shows a decline in support for Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats, with the Greens and Free Democrats maintaining steady levels. However, one pollster warns that it will be nearly impossible for any two parties to form a majority coalition due to the AfD’s presence.
Frontrunner Merz is likely to have to negotiate a three-way coalition with either the SPD and Greens or the SPD and FDP, making the negotiations even more challenging. This could result in Scholz remaining in a caretaker role but unable to make major decisions on Europe’s largest economy.
The AfD’s rise has led to an increase in fragmented coalitions, and recent tensions between Merz and Scholz over migration policy have highlighted the difficulties ahead. The outcome of the election may be more uncertain than expected, with the possibility of a three-way alliance echoing the one that collapsed last November.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/german-set-tricky-coalition-building-poll-shows-ahead-election-2025-02-21