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Elections, elections – the grand spectacle where the people speak, the politicians sweat, and the media scrambles to explain what is going to happen after the closing of the polls. Germany’s 2025 federal election was no exception, delivering a political shake-up that—depending on where you stand—is either a long-overdue correction or the beginning of the end.
The Right is Back!
Let’s start with the obvious: Friedrich Merz’s CDU/CSU is back on top with 28.5% of the vote. Not exactly a landslide, but in the chaotic political landscape of modern Europe, it’s a commanding lead. After years of floundering under Merkel’s successors, the conservatives have rediscovered their backbone, offering Germans something radical: competence.
Merz, a man who exudes the energy of a CEO who doesn’t tolerate nonsense in the boardroom, is now the undisputed leader of the German right. He campaigned on economic realism, national security, and—you guessed it—a more common-sense approach to migration. The voters liked what they heard. And judging by the total collapse of the center-left SPD, so did a lot of their former supporters.
Moving the lens a tad further to the right, we see the second biggest winner, Alternative for Germany (AfD) at 20.8%. Yes, you read that right. Germany’s populist right-wing party had its best-ever result, despite relentless attacks from the establishment, the media, and even Germany’s intelligence services.
Why? Simple: people are fed up. The more Berlin’s political class dismissed their concerns about migrant crime (even on the day of the Munich SECURITY Conference, an illegal Afghan plunged a vehicle into an event designed for children – serve that for an epitome), failed cultural integration, and economic hardship, the more voters turned to the one party actually talking about these issues—however bluntly. AfD’s success isn’t just a protest vote anymore. It’s a signal that ignoring real issues won’t make them disappear, and even more so, that the people suffering from said issues will learn to institutionalize their anger.
Of course, there are problems. Their pro-Russia stance and flirtations with outright nationalism make them radioactive to mainstream coalitions. But they’re not going anywhere and now they have even greater legislative sway.
What’s left of the Left?
Looking at the Social Democrats (SPD), if self-destruction were an Olympic sport, they’d take gold. With a pitiful 16.4%, this once-proud party suffered its worst result in postwar history. The problem? Their campaign felt like a desperate attempt to be everything to everyone—except for, you know, actual German workers.
Years of pandering to activist-driven identity politics, an uninspired economic message, and an obsession with climate policies that made life miserable for average citizens turned their base against them. Even Olaf Scholz, the now-former chancellor, seemed to know the ship was sinking but just kept rearranging the deck chairs.
One of the biggest blows to his reign was the economy. It experienced a downturn during Scholz’s chancellorship, entering a recession in 2023 that persisted into 2025. Critics argue that the government’s handling of economic policies, particularly in response to global challenges, was inadequate. The administration’s approach to budget planning faced legal challenges, with the Federal Constitutional Court declaring parts of the government’s budget policy unconstitutional in November 2023. This ruling, which invalidated the reallocation of unspent debt proceeds to the climate action budget, resulted in a €60 billion shortfall and further eroded public trust in the government’s fiscal management.
Moreover, the “traffic light” coalition, comprising the SPD, the Greens, and the Free Democratic Party (FDP), was fraught with ideological differences that led to frequent policy gridlocks. Disagreements spanned various areas, including budget planning, environmental policies, and social services. The coalition’s inability to present a unified front on critical issues contributed to a perception of ineffective governance. This instability was highlighted by the dramatic collapse of the coalition in November 2024, following Scholz’s dismissal of a key minister, which left the government in a precarious position and necessitated the formation of a minority government. To sum it up, if the “traffic light” coalition was a Mercedes-Benz, and Merz the driver, you could safely say he rammed it full-speed into a brick wall. No one’s shedding too many tears on the fact that he’s going home.
But the left isn’t dying completely, it’s just radicalizing in Germany. Die Linke, the former Communist party of East Germany, scored an unexpected 8.8%, proving that radicalism isn’t exclusive to the right. Their success was largely fueled by young, disillusioned voters who see capitalism as the enemy and dream of a socialist utopia where rent is free and jobs are optional.
It’s tempting to dismiss them, but they’re smart, digital-savvy, and know how to rally disaffected youth. A government run by them would be an economic disaster, but like in France, they’re becoming a cultural force that can’t be ignored.
America: Nosey Friend or Hidden Foe?
One of the spiciest subplots of this election was foreign interference—not from Russia, but from America.
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has a history of engaging in political discourse, often leveraging his substantial social media presence to express his views. In the lead-up to the German election, Musk publicly endorsed the Alternative for Germany (AfD) sparking both support and outrage. Musk’s endorsement is particularly noteworthy given his status as a high-profile entrepreneur with significant business interests in Germany, including a Tesla manufacturing plant near Berlin. Critics argue that his involvement in German politics constitutes an overreach, potentially influencing voter behavior and undermining the sovereignty of Germany’s democratic process.
Adding to the controversy, U.S. Vice President JD Vance delivered a speech at the Munich Security Conference on February 14, 2025, in which he criticized European governments for what he described as the suppression of free speech and the marginalization of populist movements. Vance specifically addressed the treatment of right-leaning individuals and political parties, suggesting that European elites were stifling dissenting voices and limiting democratic choices.
Vance’s remarks were perceived by many as an implicit endorsement of parties like the AfD, Trump’s VP even having a private meeting with Alice Weidel in the aftermath of the heated conference.
Friedrich Merz openly called out U.S. meddling, the not-so-subtle support for AfD obviously rubbing CDU the wrong way, and Merz wasn’t having it.
“Germany decides for Germany,” he declared, drawing a line against outside influence. This marks a potential shift toward European strategic autonomy, with Germany looking to chart its own course instead of being a pawn in the U.S.-Russia tug-of-war.
Final Thoughts
This election was about more than just who sits in Berlin. It was about the soul of Germany. It is now obvious that the old centrist consensus is dead. Voters now lean either right (CDU, AfD) or left (Die Linke, Greens)—but the mushy middle? Not so much. The election was also living proof that culture and identity matter. AfD’s rise shows that people care about their national identity. Ignoring this won’t make it go away. Furthermore, it showed that economic reality beats idealism. People want leaders who focus on jobs, security, and stability—not utopian dreams or endless virtue signaling.
If you’re someone who believes in competence, realism, and a government that actually listens to its people, then you will probably perceive that this election was a step in the right direction.
Yes, coalition-building will be a nightmare. Yes, there’s political turbulence ahead. But Germany just sent a clear message: The days of ideological groupthink and ignoring real-world problems are over.
And frankly, it’s about time.