Germany is holding a crucial vote on Sunday, with almost 60 million voters heading to the ballot boxes to elect a new Bundestag. The outcome of this election will determine who governs the country and who becomes the next chancellor.
The voting system in Germany is complex, but for the first time, a newly reformed electoral law will come into effect, bringing subtle changes to how parliament seats are distributed. This year’s vote has two main issues under the spotlight: reviving Europe’s biggest economy and tightening immigration controls.
To understand the process, there are two votes on each ballot paper. The first vote is for a candidate running in the voter’s electoral district, while the second vote is for a party running in the voter’s federal state. However, to be represented in the Bundestag, a party must win at least 5% of the second vote or secure three directly-elected candidates.
This year, three parties – the pro-business Free Democrats, the Left, and the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance – are polling around the 5% mark. If they fail to hit this threshold, it could lead to a two-way coalition between the CDU/CSU and SPD, or other configurations.
Additionally, Germany is ditching its overhang mandate, which has been criticized for increasing the size of the Bundestag and making coalitions more comfortable. This change aims to cap the Bundestag seats at 630 and ensure that some district winners lose seats if their party doesn’t win enough votes.
The outcome of this election will determine who becomes the next chancellor, as well as which parties form a majority coalition. Follow the live coverage on Euronews from 17:30 CET on Sunday, February 23rd, to get the latest updates on Germany’s crunch vote.
Source: https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/02/23/the-trial-of-frances-biggest-paedophile-offender-opens-in-vannes-brittany-on-monday