Winning her fourth federal election, Angela Merkel faces a relatively splintered parliament with the worst electoral result of the Christian democrats CDU and social democrats SPD since the 1950s. The ‘Grand Coalition’ of CDU and SPD lost heavily as the Liberal FDP returned to parliament after a four-year absence and the AfD, branded as a far-right party, enters the Bundestag for the first time. The latter is unprecedented as far-right politics have been virtually absent in Germany’s parliament since the 1950s.

Some issues are relevant for the international community, as the number of parliamentarians is likely to rise, making it more difficult for Germany to act efficiently. Furthermore, coalition talks with the FDP and Die Grüne (the Greens) could compromise Merkel’s prominence in Europe, as she has to negotiate Germany’s stance in Europe and Germany’s refugee policy.

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