Olaf Scholz (l) and Friedrich Merz (r) take part in a political debate (Image: Getty)
Germans head to the polls on Sunday to choose a new government, with concerns about the economy, immigration and war on Europe very much on their minds.
The elections could prove to be a historical watershed for post-war German politics, with the hard-right AfD poised to become the second largest party in parliament – the Bundestag.
The AfD is currently polling in second place on 21%, nine points behind the frontrunners – the Christian Democrats (CDU).
The hard-right party is capitalising on concerns about immigration, partly fuelled by a spate of attacks in recent months with suspects reportedly from the Middle East and Afghanistan.
Below, the Express provides an overview of everything you need to know about this weekend’s seismic elections.
READ MORE: Tell us if you think the AfD should enter government if it does well in election
Why was the snap election called?
The elections were called following the collapse of the coalition government under German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in November last year.
Scholz had led a three-way government consisting of his Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Liberals (FDP) and the Greens since 2021.
However, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine hit the German economy hard, leading to serious conflicts and infighting over spending and budget plans.
Tensions eventually came to a head when Scholz fired his Finance Minister Christian Lindner – the leader of the liberal Free Democrats party.
After losing a confidence vote, parliament was dissolved on December 27, with new elections slated for February 23.
Alice Weidel’s AfD is riding high in the polls (Image: Getty)
Which parties are running?
Twenty-nine parties will compete for 630 seats in the next German parliament, with at least 59.2 million people eligible to vote. However, most likely only five to eight parties will garner enough votes to have MPs elected to the chamber.
The main parties are as follows: The conservative Christian Democrats (polling at 30%) led by Friedrich Merz, which are promising a crack down on immigration and deregulation of the economy.
The Social Democrats (16%) led by Scholz, which want to secure pensions and industrial employment through an investment and subsidy push.
The Greens (13%) led by Robert Habeck, which are banking on its hawkish security policies and investment into the net-zero economy.
The Free Democrats (5%) led by Christian Lindner, whose campaign has focused on businesses, deregulation, and anti-woke sentiments.
The AfD (21%) led by Alice Weidel, which are offering a mix of anti-immigrant and anti-EU policies, including advocating for Germany’s exit from the bloc.
The Left (7%) led by Jan van Aken and Heidi Reichinnek, which are seeking to woo disaffected supporters of the Greens and SPD, who believe their parties have moved too far to the right.
The BSW (5%) led by Sahra Wagenknecht, which are hoping to cash in on the popularity of their charismatic leader among East Germans, as well as their opposition to military aid for Ukraine.
Representatives from Germany’s political parties prepare for a TV debate (Image: Getty)
How many MPs will be elected, and how?
630 seats are up for grabs and a party must get 5% of the vote in order to have its MPs elected to the parliament.
The German election system is designed to create coalition governments and uses a combined system of proportional representation and “direct” voting.
Each eligible person cast two ballots – the so-called “Erststimme” and “Zweitstimme” (first ballot, second ballot).
The first ballot elects a local MP for each constituency, while the second determines the seat share of each party via proportional representation.
The Chancellor of the country is then chosen by the new MPs in a parliamentary vote, after the German President puts forward a candidate – normally from the largest elected party.
The German Bundestag Parliament in Berlin (Image: Getty)
Will the AfD be kept out of government – and what is the German ‘firewall’?
Since WW2, there has been a so-called “firewall” in place – a cross-party consensus to keep the extreme right out of government.
The AfD is seen as “radical”, “racist” and “anti-democratic” by opponents. It has even been branded as “anti-constitutional” by Germany’s intelligence agency.
The party insists it is conservative and libertarian, not a radical, right-wing force and has received support from members of the Donald Trump’s administration. Last week, US Vice President JD Vance demanded mainstream parties not to impose “firewalls” against far-right groupings. In late January, tech billionaire and part of the Department of Government Efficiency Elon Musk expressed his support for the party.
The AfD say it shares many of the same policies as Trump’s White House – such as his “anti-woke”, tough-on-migration, pro-fossil-fuel message. They too are keen to stop sending weapons to Ukraine, and to de-escalate tensions with Russia.
The AfD is unlikely to be invited to help form a government, even if polls are correct and it becomes the second largest party in parliament.
However, the firewall could be crumbling. The party made a “historic” step towards normalisation in January, when the CDU indirectly invited it to sway a vote on migration.
