2025 German federal election explained

Election Name:2025 German federal election
Country:Germany
Type:parliamentary
Ongoing:yes
Previous Election:2021 German federal election
Previous Year:2021
Election Date:28 September 2025
Next Election:2029 German federal election
Next Year:2029
Outgoing Members:List of members of the 20th Bundestag
Seats For Election:All 630 seats in the Bundestag
Majority Seats:316
Opinion Polls:Opinion polling for the next German federal election
Candidate1:Olaf Scholz
Party1:Social Democratic Party of Germany
Last Election1:25.7%, 206 seats
Candidate2:Friedrich Merz
Party2:CDU/CSU
Last Election2:24.1%, 197 seats
Candidate3:Robert Habeck
Party3:Alliance 90/The Greens
Last Election3:14.8%, 118 seats
Candidate4:Christian Lindner
Party4:Free Democratic Party (Germany)
Last Election4:11.4%, 91 seats
Candidate5:Alice Weidel
Party5:Alternative for Germany
Last Election5:10.4%, 83 seats
Candidate6:Jan van Aken &<br>Heidi Reichinnek
Party6:The Left (Germany)
Last Election6:4.9%, 39 seats
Government
Before Election:Scholz cabinet
Before Party:SPD–Green–FDP
Posttitle:Government after election

Federal elections in Germany will be held to elect the members of the 21st Bundestag. They are currently scheduled to be held on 28 September 2025. However, the elections are expected to be brought forward to 23 February due to the collapse of the governing traffic light coalition during the 2024 German government crisis. If held early, the 2025 election would be the fourth snap election in the history of post-war Germany after those in 1972, 1983 and 2005.

Background

The Federal Cabinet recommended 28 September as the date of the election, which was approved by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.[1] Following a government crisis, FDP leader Christian Lindner was dismissed from the incumbent government by Olaf Scholz on 6 November 2024, triggering the collapse of the traffic light coalition and leaving the government without a majority.[2] [3] [4]

Scholz announced that he would submit a motion of confidence to the Bundestag on 11 December 2024, which is expected to be brought to a vote on 16 December.[5] If the Bundestag does not give him a majority vote of confidence, he can propose a dissolution of the Bundestag to President Steinmeier. The President is not obliged to grant one, but in the likely case he chooses to do so, the governing parties and the opposition CDU/CSU have agreed to recommend 23 February 2025 as the date for the snap election.[6] [7] [8]

Electoral system

Date assignment

The Basic Law and the Federal Election Act provide that federal elections must be held on a Sunday or on a national holiday no earlier than 46 and no later than 48 months after the first sitting of a Bundestag, unless the Bundestag is dissolved earlier. The 20th and sitting Bundestag held its first sitting on 26 October 2021.[9] Therefore, the next election must take place on a Sunday between 31 August 2025 and 26 October 2025, with 28 September being scheduled.

Federal elections can be held earlier if the president of Germany dissolves the Bundestag and schedules a snap election. They may only do so under two possible scenarios described by the Basic Law.

  1. If the Bundestag fails to elect a chancellor with an absolute majority of its members on the 15th day after the first ballot of a chancellor's election, the president is free to either appoint the candidate who received a plurality of votes as chancellor or to dissolve the Bundestag (in accordance with Article 63, Section 4 of the Basic Law).
  2. If the chancellor loses a confidence motion, they may ask the president to dissolve the Bundestag. The president is free to grant or to deny the chancellor's request (in accordance with Article 68 of the Basic Law).

In both cases, federal elections would have to take place on a Sunday or national holiday no later than 60 days after the dissolution.[10] [11]

Process

Germany has a mixed-member proportional electoral system. Voters have two votes: the first vote is used to directly elect a candidate in their own constituency, and the second vote is for a party's electoral list. To enter the Bundestag, a party must either get five percent of the nationwide second vote (the Fünf-Prozent-Hürde, five-percent hurdle) or the most votes in three constituencies; both cases result in that party receiving seats proportional to its nationwide share of the second vote.

2023 reform

Prior to this election, if a party won more constituency seats than its proportional entitlement, it was allowed to keep the so-called overhang seats. The addition of leveling seats for other parties, in order to keep the composition of the Bundestag proportional, led to a large amount of additional seats in 2017 and 2021.

After the 2021 election produced a Bundestag with 736 members – which made it the largest freely elected parliament in the world – renewed debate began over the system that had been in place since the 2013 election. The Bundestag passed a reform law in March 2023 to fix the size of future Bundestags at 630 members. It introduced two changes: The seat distribution would be determined solely through each party's share of the second vote (Zweitstimmendeckung, "second vote coverage") and the elimination of the three-constituency rule (Grundmandatsklausel, "basic mandate clause"). Parties are no longer allowed to keep overhang seats; if a party wins overhang seats in a state, constituency winners are excluded from the Bundestag in decreasing order of their first vote share.[12]

Both the CSU and The Left opposed the law due to the elimination of the basic mandate clause. In the 2021 election, The Left fell short of the five-percent threshold but remained in the Bundestag because it won three constituencies, whereas the CSU barely crossed the threshold with 5.2% of the nationwide second vote while winning 45 constituencies in Bavaria. Both parties appealed to President Steinmeier to veto it; nevertheless, Steinmeier signed the bill after personally determining he believed it was constitutional.[13] [14] Both party organizations, as well as the government of Bavaria controlled by the CSU, filed formal complaints to the Federal Constitutional Court.[15] [16]

Hearings were held on 23 and 24 April 2024. On 30 July 2024, the court largely upheld the new electoral law. However, it ruled that a five-percent threshold without any exceptions is unconstitutional; though it recognized the threshold is necessary to prevent fragmentation, it held there must be measures to minimize wasted votes. In order to settle electoral law in sufficient time for this election, the court did not order the Bundestag to modify the law and instead re-introduced the basic mandate clause as an interim measure. The Bundestag is free to change, reduce, or abolish the five-percent hurdle (in conformance with the ruling) for future elections.

Political parties and leaders

See also: List of political parties in Germany. The table below lists the parties represented in the 20th Bundestag.

PartiesLeader(s)Leading candidate(s)IdeologySeatsStatus
Last electionBefore election
Social Democratic Party of Germany
Saskia Esken
Lars Klingbeil		Olaf Scholz
CDU/CSUChristian Democratic Union of Germany
Friedrich Merz[17] Christian democracyrowspan="2"
Christian Social Union in Bavaria
Markus Söder
Alliance 90/The Greens
Franziska Brantner
Felix Banaszak		Robert Habeck[18] Green politics
Free Democratic Party
Christian LindnerChristian Lindner[19] Liberalismrowspan="7"
Alternative for Germany
Alice Weidel
Tino Chrupalla		Alice Weidel[20] Right-wing populism
The Left
Ines Schwerdtner
Jan van Aken		Heidi Reichinnek
Jan van Aken[21]
Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance
Sahra Wagenknecht
Amira Mohamed Ali		Sahra WagenknechtLeft-wing populism
Socialism
UngroupedSSWStefan Seidler
AfDMatthias Helferich——
Independent———

Campaign

Nominations

In contrast to the 2021 election, the Kanzlerfrage (chancellor question) for the CDU/CSU bloc was resolved relatively quickly. After good performances for the CDU in September 2024 state elections in Saxony and Thuringia, the two other prospective candidates – North Rhine-Westphalia Minister-President Hendrik Wüst and Bavaria Minister-President and CSU leader Markus Söder – expressed their full support for Friedrich Merz.[22] [23] Söder was thought to pursue another attempt at the nomination; many CDU rank-and-file, however, saw him in a negative light after a months-long battle with Armin Laschet for the nomination in 2021, followed by personal attacks on Laschet that were seen as undermining the Union campaign, as well as his categorical ruling-out of any coalition with the Greens after this election.[24] (The CSU has still only provided the Union bloc's lead candidate twice: in 1980 and 2002.)

At The Left's party convention in October, former lead candidate Gregor Gysi announced an effort called Mission Silberlocke ("Mission Silver Locks") to bolster the party's prospects in the face of infighting and faltering polling. Gysi committed to run for re-election in his constituency of Berlin-Treptow – Köpenick, with former parliamentary group leader Dietmar Bartsch running for a third time in Rostock – Landkreis Rostock II and outgoing Minister-President of Thuringia Bodo Ramelow – the only Left member to have led a state government – contesting a Bundestag seat for the first time in Erfurt – Weimar – Weimarer Land II. The goal is to capitalize on the three men's relatively high personal popularities and give The Left the best chance possible to win three constituencies and ensure they remain in the Bundestag, and the effort is nicknamed in humorous reference to the their advanced ages. Party leader Schwerdtner is also running in the stronghold of Berlin-Lichtenberg and parliamentary group leader Sören Pellmann is seeking re-election in Leipzig II, which are both seen as likely holds for The Left. Experts also rated Gysi and Ramelow as favorites to win their respective constituencies, which combined would retain the bloc's representation.[25] [26]

In November, various SPD legislators and leading figures – most prominently former party leader Sigmar Gabriel – began publicly calling for defence minister Boris Pistorius to be designated the party's chancellor candidate owing to its and Scholz's poor polling.[27] Polling for ARD showed Pistorius as the most favorably viewed national politician: 60% of voters thought he would be a good chancellor, compared to 42% for Merz and 21% for Scholz.[28] In a video released on 21 November, Pistorius ended what had become two weeks of public debate by disavowing any interest in running for chancellor and expressing his full support for Scholz.[29] Such a protracted and public debate, and party leadership's apparent inability to quickly control or restrain it, was seen as embarrassing and damaging; Jusos president Philipp Türmer directly called out Esken and Klingbeil for the "shitshow" at their national congress the following weekend. Nonetheless, Scholz was unanimously renominated as chancellor candidate by the party's executive on 25 November, which will be confirmed at the party's national convention in January.[30]

FDP "D-Day" paper

On 15 November, Die Zeit and Süddeutsche Zeitung independently reported that the FDP had been planning a strategy to break the coalition for several weeks.[31] [32] They reported on the existence of a detailed working paper which used controversial militaristic language: the 18-page economic report that resulted in Lindner's firing was called "the torpedo", and the upcoming election campaign was described as "open battle". Most contentious was that the day of its publication was referred to as "D-Day" – which in German is used exclusively in reference to the Allied invasion of Normandy and has a violent connotation, whereas the equivalent generic term for "decision day" would be Tag X. The use of the language of war to refer to the political process led to heavy criticism.[33] [34]

This also contradicted Lindner's assertion that the end of the government was a "calculated break" on the part of Scholz. Criticism came from the SPD upon the revelation that their coalition partner had apparently not been acting in good faith for weeks: parliamentary leader Rolf Mützenich described himself as "feeling deceived and disappointed" and "horrified" by the controversial language.[35] In an 18 November interview with RTL and n-tv, FDP general secretary Bijan Djir-Sarai flatly denied the use of the term "D-Day" and stated the party's leadership was not aware of the paper. Lindner did not deny the paper's existence but simply replied to reporters "We are in a campaign. Where is the news here?"

Media speculation continued as to what degree the FDP was responsible for the coalition's end. On the morning of 28 November, the online news portal Table.Media published excerpts of an 8-page document alleged to be the working paper; it was indeed titled "D-Day Scenarios and Actions" and laid out a strategy as detailed as the original reporting surmised, including strategies to undermine the coalition, communication tactics, and pre-written quotations for Lindner. SZ confronted party leaders with the excerpts and gave them a 1:30 p.m. deadline to respond to questions. The party did not, but instead officially released the full paper at 6 p.m. with a statement from Djir-Sarai claiming it was "to prevent false impressions...of the paper" by the media.[36]

According to the party, the paper was first prepared by Federal Managing Director Carsten Reymann on 24 October "to deal with the questions surrounding how the exit of the FDP from the government could be communicated", and the "purely technical paper" was not presented to legislators or members of the government.[37] Djir-Sarai and Reymann resigned the next day to take responsibility for the paper's contents. SPD acting general secretary Matthias Miersch described Djir-Sarai as "a transparent sacrificial lamb" to protect Lindner and called it "unimaginable" that the party leader would not know of the paper's existence.[38] In a written statement released that evening, Lindner again denied any knowledge of the paper and stated he would not have approved of it, and that it was only circulated among internal party staffers and not any elected officials.[39]

Marco Buschmann, who served as justice minister until the traffic light coalition's collapse, took over as the FDP's general secretary.[40]

Members of Parliament standing down

NamePartyStateConstituencyMember since
data-sort-value="Abdi, Sanae" Andreas RimkusSPDNorth Rhine-WestphaliaDüsseldorf IIdata-sort-value="2013" 2013[41]
Peter RamsauerCSUBavariaTraunstein1990[42]
Renate KünastGreenBerlinN/A2002[43]
Niels AnnenSPDHamburgHamburg-Eimsbüttel2005[44]
Sarah RyglewskiSPDBremenN/A2017[45]
Annette Widmann-MauzCDUBaden-WürttembergTübingen1998[46]
Yvonne MagwasCDUSaxonyN/A2013[47]
Nadine SchönCDUSaarlandSt. Wendel2009[48]
Michelle MünteferingSPDNorth Rhine-WestphaliaHerne – Bochum II2013[49]
Markus GrübelCDUBaden-WürttembergN/A2002[50]
Andreas ScheuerCSUBavariaPassau2002[51]
Kai GehringGreenNorth Rhine-WestphaliaN/A2005[52]
Sönke RixSPDSchleswig-HolsteinN/A2005[53]
Manuela RottmannGreenBavariaN/A2017[54]
Volkmar KleinCDUNorth Rhine-WestphaliaSiegen-Wittgenstein2009[55]
Paul LehriederCSUBavariaWürzburg2005[56]
Christoph HoffmannCDUBaden-WürttembergN/A2017[57]
Katrin BuddeSPDSaxony-AnhaltN/A2017[58]
Dietmar NietanSPDNorth Rhine-WestphaliaN/A2005[59]
Michael GerdesSPDNorth Rhine-WestphaliaN/A2009[60]
Tabea RößnerGreenRhineland-PalatinateN/A2009[61]
Kordula Schulz-AscheGreenHesseN/A2017
Erwin RüddelCDURhineland-PalatinateN/A2009[62]
Heike BaehrensSPDBaden-WürttembergN/A2013[63]
Michael RothSPDHesseWerra-Meißner – Hersfeld-Rotenburg1998[64]
Thomas HitschlerSPDRhineland-PalatinateSüdpfalz2013[65]
Astrid DamerowCDUSchleswig-HolsteinN/A2017[66]
Tobias LindnerGreenRhineland-PalatinateN/A2011[67]
Martin RosemannSPDBaden-WürttembergN/A2013[68]
Sven-Christian KindlerGreenLower SaxonyN/A2017[69]
Oliver GrundmannCDULower SaxonyN/A2013[70]
Christine Aschenberg-DugnusFDPSchleswig-HolsteinN/A2017
Maria Klein-SchmeinkGreenNorth Rhine-WestphaliaN/A2017[71]
Dagmar AndresSPDNorth Rhine-WestphaliaEuskirchen – Rhein-Erft-Kreis II2021[72]
Michael Grosse-BrömerCDULower SaxonyHarburg2002[73]
Hermann GröheCDUNorth Rhine-WestphaliaNeuss I1994[74]
Udo SchiefnerSPDNorth Rhine-WestphaliaN/A2013[75]
Max StraubingerCSUBavariaN/A1994[76]
Bernd WestphalSPDLower SaxonyN/A2013[77]
Beate Walter-RosenheimerGreenBavariaN/A2012[78]

Opinion polls

See main article: Opinion polling for the 2025 German federal election.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Germany's president approves the date for next year's national election . 23 August 2024 . Associated Press . 23 August 2024 . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20240823160815/https://apnews.com/article/germany-parliamentary-election-september-2025-fa9833641e1173f97f92f18d8be2229e . 2024-08-23 . live.
  2. Web site: tagesschau.de . Kanzler Scholz will im Januar Vertrauensfrage stellen . Chancellor Scholz wants to ask for a vote of confidence in January . 2024-11-06 . tagesschau.de . de . https://web.archive.org/web/20241106203735/https://www.tagesschau.de/eilmeldung/eilmeldung-8252.html . 2024-11-06 . live.
  3. Web site: Germany's governing coalition collapses . 2024-11-06 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20241109013627/https://www.dw.com/en/germanys-governing-coalition-collapses/live-70692143 . 2024-11-09 . live.
  4. Web site: 2024-11-06 . German government coalition collapses as Scholz sacks Finance Minister Lindner . von der Burchard . Hans . Nöstlinger . Nette . Buchsteiner . Rasmus . 2024-11-06 . Politico . en-GB . https://web.archive.org/web/20241109053009/https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-coalition-government-collapse-olaf-scholz-finance-minister-christian-lindner/ . 2024-11-09 . live.
  5. Web site: Völkner . Paula . Scholz bei Miosga zum Ampel-Aus: Vertrauensfrage "vor Weihnachten" möglich – Neuwahlen rücken näher . Scholz at miosga on the end of the traffic light coalition: vote of confidence "before Christmas" possible – new elections are getting closer . FR.de . Frankfurter Rundschau . 11 November 2024 . 11 November 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241112210057/https://www.fr.de/politik/ampel-aus-scholz-miosga-kanzler-neuwahlen-trump-us-wahl-live-fragen-93404118.html . 12 November 2024 . live.
  6. News: Einigung auf Neuwahl des Bundestags am 23. Februar . Agreement on New Parliamentary Elections on 23 February . 12 November 2024 . 2024-11-12 . . de . https://web.archive.org/web/20241112103525/https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/neuwahlen-termin-einigung-100.html . 12 November 2024 . live.
  7. Web site: Neuwahlen sollen am 23. Februar stattfinden . New elections are scheduled to take place on 23 February . 2024-11-12 . tagesschau.de . de . https://web.archive.org/web/20241112103525/https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/neuwahlen-termin-einigung-100.html . 2024-11-12 . live.
  8. Web site: President calls German early election plan 'realistic' . 2024-11-12 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20241114023424/https://www.dw.com/en/president-calls-german-early-election-plan-realistic/live-70763695 . 2024-11-14 . live.
  9. Web site: 26 September 2021. Nach der Bundestagswahl: Wie geht es jetzt weiter?. After the general election: what's next?. 30 September 2021. RND. de. 27 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210927092851/https://www.rnd.de/politik/bundestagswahl-2021-wann-steht-die-neue-regierung-wie-es-jetzt-weitergeht-TBS6IKIQ6HBHPTBVJH53T3VUI4.html. live.
  10. Web site: Wahl zum 19. Deutschen Bundestag am 24. September 2017. Der Bundeswahlleiter. 26 September 2017. 8 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201108095220/https://bundeswahlleiter.de/bundestagswahlen/2017.html. live.
  11. Web site: Martin Fehndrich. Bundeskanzlerwahl. Wahlrecht.de. 26 February 2017. 26 September 2017. 8 May 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220508155815/https://www.wahlrecht.de/lexikon/bundeskanzlerwahl.html. live.
  12. Web site: Frank Bräutigam . Kolja Schwartz . Bundesverfassungsgericht kippt das neue Wahlrecht in Teilen . Federal Constitutional Court overturns the new electoral law in parts . 2024-07-30 . tagesschau.de . de . 30 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240730020825/https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/innenpolitik/wahlrechtsreform-bundesverfassungsgericht-104.html . live.
  13. News: Steinmeier unterzeichnet Gesetz zur Wahlrechtsreform . Mr. Steinmeier signs law on electoral reform . Süddeutsche Zeitung . 8 June 2023 . de . 8 June 2023 . 8 June 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230608201646/https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/bundespraesident-steinmeier-unterzeichnet-gesetz-zur-wahlrechtsreform-dpa.urn-newsml-dpa-com-20090101-230608-99-988572 . live .
  14. News: Kornmeier . Claudia . Was das neue Wahlrecht vorsieht? . What the new electoral law provides? . tagesschau.de . 17 March 2023 . de . 8 June 2023 . 8 June 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230608201645/https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/innenpolitik/wahlrechtsreform-rechtliche-huerden-101.html . live .
  15. News: Wahlrechtsreform: CSU und Freistaat Bayern klagen beim Bundesverfassungsgericht . Electoral reforms: CSU and Free State of Bavaria file suit with the Federal Constitutional Court . Der Spiegel . 14 June 2023 . de . 6 September 2023 . 6 September 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230906182210/https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/bundesverfassungsgericht-csu-und-freistaat-bayern-klagen-gegen-wahlrechtsreform-a-0a54216e-0720-4f83-b447-bd954f10f06f . live .
  16. News: Lehmann . Anna . Verkleinerung des Bundestages: Linke klagt gegen Wahlrechtsreform . Reduction of the Bundestag: Left Party files suit against electoral reform . Die Tageszeitung . 16 June 2023 . de . 6 September 2023 . 6 September 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230906182210/https://taz.de/Verkleinerung-des-Bundestages/!5941268/ . live .
  17. News: 2024-09-17 . Merz wird Kanzlerkandidat der Union – Söder zieht sich zurück . Merz becomes the Union's candidate for chancellor - Söder withdraws. 2024-09-17 . Der Spiegel . de . 2195-1349 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240917084904/https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/cdu-csu-friedrich-merz-wird-kanzlerkandidat-der-union-a-6c0557ca-b775-4002-b1cd-d156a9d0e7a8 . 2024-09-17 . live.
  18. Web site: Deiß . Matthias . So begründet Habeck seine Kanzlerkandidatur . This is how Habeck justifies his candidacy for chancellor . 2024-11-08 . tagesschau.de . de . https://web.archive.org/web/20241108225059/https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/innenpolitik/habeck-kanzlerkandidatur-104.html . 2024-11-08 . live.
  19. Web site: 2024-11-07 . FDP-Chef Lindner will seine Partei erneut als Spitzenkandidat in die Bundestagswahl führen Der FDP-Chef Lindner hat angekündigt, seine Partei in die nächste Bundestagswahl zu führen. . After the breakdown of the traffic light coalition - FDP leader Lindner wants to lead his party again as top candidate in the federal election . 2024-11-08 . deutschlandfunk.de . de . https://web.archive.org/web/20241114024017/https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/fdp-chef-lindner-will-seine-partei-erneut-als-spitzenkandidat-in-die-bundestagswahl-fuehren-100.html . 2024-11-14 . live.
  20. Web site: Alice Weidel wird erste Kanzlerkandidatin der AfD. Weidel becomes AfD's first candidate for chancellor. 27 September 2024. 27 September 2024. de. n-tv. https://web.archive.org/web/20240930225113/https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Alice-Weidel-wird-erste-Kanzlerkandidatin-der-AfD-article25257973.html . 2024-09-30 . live.
  21. Web site: 2024-11-10 . "Wir hier unten gegen die da oben": Die Linke zieht mit Spitzenduo in den Wahlkampf . "We down here against those up there": The Left enters the election campaign with a top duo . 2024-11-10 . t-online . de . https://web.archive.org/web/20241114024156/https://www.t-online.de/nachrichten/deutschland/parteien/id_100527700/linke-zieht-mit-spitzenduo-van-aken-und-reichinnek-in-den-wahlkampf.html . 2024-11-14 . live.
  22. News: Kanzlerkandidatur: Prominenter Unionspolitiker erklärt Verzicht - wann gibt Söder auf? . Candidacy for Chancellor: Prominent Union politician declares his resignation - when will Söder give up? . 16 September 2024 . www.nn.de . de . https://web.archive.org/web/20240916221504/https://www.nn.de/politik/kanzlerkandidatur-prominenter-unionspolitiker-erklart-verzicht-wann-gibt-soder-auf-1.14420171 . 2024-09-16 . live.
  23. News: Söder bestätigt Verzicht: Merz wird Kanzlerkandidat der Union . Söder confirms waiver: If Merz becomes Union's candidate for chancellorship . tagesschau.de . 17 September 2024 . de . https://web.archive.org/web/20240917102658/https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/innenpolitik/k-frage-union-merz-100.html . 2024-09-17 . live.
  24. News: Wendler . Achim . Warum Söders Kalkül nicht aufging? . Why did Söder’s calculation not work out?. tagesschau.de . 17 September 2024 . de . https://web.archive.org/web/20241001181432/https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/innenpolitik/soeder-merz-108.html . 2024-10-01 . live.
  25. News: Bundestagswahl: Ramelow, Gysi und Bartsch wollen mit "Mission Silberlocke" für Linke Direktmandate holen . Federal election: Ramelow, Gysi and Bartsch want to win direct mandates for the Left with "Mission Silverlocke" . mdr.de . 21 November 2024 . de . https://web.archive.org/web/20241121084939/https://www.mdr.de/nachrichten/deutschland/politik/mission-silberlocke-ramelow-gysi-bartsch-linke-direktmandate-bundestagswahl-100.html . 2024-11-21 . live.
  26. News: Gysi, Ramelow, Bartsch: Mission: Mal kurz die Linken retten . Gysi, Ramelow, Bartsch: Mission: Save the left for a moment . ZDFheute . 20 November 2024 . de . https://web.archive.org/web/20241123024955/https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/politik/deutschland/linke-silberlocke-grundmandatsklausel-100.html . 2024-11-23 . live.
  27. News: Scholz or Pistorius: Germany's SPD to discuss candidates. dw.com . 19 November 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241125092229/https://www.dw.com/en/scholz-or-pistorius-germanys-spd-to-discuss-candidates/a-70824568 . 2024-11-25 . live.
  28. Web site: Riesewieck . Florian . ARD-DeutschlandTrend: Die SPD und die K-Frage: Pistorius vor Scholz . ARD-DeutschlandTrend: The SPD and the K-question: Pistorius ahead of Scholz . tagesschau.de . de . 21 November 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241121170330/https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/deutschlandtrend/deutschlandtrend-3446.html . 2024-11-21 . live.
  29. News: Pistorius wird nicht SPD-Kanzlerkandidat . Pistorius will not be SPD candidate for chancellor . tagesschau.de . 21 November 2024 . de . https://web.archive.org/web/20241121190124/https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/innenpolitik/pistorius-verzicht-kanzlerkandidatur-spd-100.html . 2024-11-21 . live.
  30. News: SPD: Olaf Scholz als Kanzlerkandidaten für Bundestagswahl 2025 nominiert . SPD: Olaf Scholz nominated as candidate for chancellor for 2025 federal election . Der Spiegel . 25 November 2024 . de . https://web.archive.org/web/20241125130500/https://www.spiegel.de/politik/spd-olaf-scholz-als-kanzlerkandidat-fuer-bundestagswahl-2025-nominiert-a-2a06a71b-4daf-4bf9-994b-092b07fc6cdb . 2024-11-25 . live.
  31. News: Krach . Wolfgang . Mascolo . Georg . Richter . Nicolas . Roßbach . Henrike . Wie die FDP das Ende der Ampel-Koalition geplant hat? . How the FDP planned the end of the traffic light coalition? . Süddeutsche.de . 15 November 2024 . de . https://web.archive.org/web/20241115221437/https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/fdp-lindner-scholz-ampel-koalition-lux.6WfirtdT6NbfwMKj4a3hkq . 2024-11-15 . live.
  32. News: Pausch . Robert . Das liberale Drehbuch für den Regierungssturz . The liberal scripts for the overthrow of the government . Die Zeit . 15 November 2024 . de . https://web.archive.org/web/20241115180850/https://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2024-11/christian-lindner-ampel-aus-fdp-bundesregierung . 2024-11-15 . live.
  33. News: Zimmermann . Jan . Wie die "D-Day"-Affäre der FDP schadet? . How the "D-Day" affair is damaging the FDP? . tagesschau.de . 29 November 2024 . de . https://web.archive.org/web/20241130011156/https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/innenpolitik/fdp-djir-sarai-ampelaus-dday-100.html . 2024-11-30 . live.
  34. News: Germany’s liberals descend into crisis as ‘D-Day’ paper reveals plot to blow up coalition . Politico . 29 November 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241130172044/https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-liberal-fdp-crisis-d-day-paper-reveal-plot-coalition/ . 2024-11-30 . live.
  35. News: Berichte über inszenierten Ampelbruch: FDP-Chef Lindner wiegelt Vorwürfe ab . Der Spiegel . 17 November 2024 . de . https://web.archive.org/web/20241118014559/https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/christian-lindner-fdp-chef-wiegelt-vorwurf-des-geplanten-ampel-bruchs-ab-a-d62745c4-3b5b-46ea-a625-cfc216c813ab . 2024-11-18 . live.
  36. News: FDP veröffentlicht »D-Day«-Papier . FDP publishes "D-Day" paper . Der Spiegel . 28 November 2024 . de . https://web.archive.org/web/20241129100829/https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/ampel-aus-fdp-veroeffentlicht-d-day-papier-a-c7bfe01d-9251-48c0-9a3d-c1fd48913b9b . 2024-11-29 . live .
  37. Web site: Transparenz: Erklärung des Bundesgeschäftsführers der FDP . Transparency: Statement by the Federal Executive Director of the FDP . www.fdp.de . de . 28 November 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241128171208/https://www.fdp.de/erklaerung-des-bundesgeschaeftsfuehrers-der-fdp . 2024-11-28 . live.
  38. News: Reaktionen auf FDP-Beben: »Bijan Djir-Sarais Rücktritt ist ein durchschaubares Bauernopfer« . Reactions to FDP earthquake: "Bijan Djir-Sarai's resignation is a transparent pawn sacrifice" . Der Spiegel . 29 November 2024 . de . https://web.archive.org/web/20241129165300/https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/reaktionen-auf-fdp-beben-bijan-djir-sarais-ruecktritt-ist-ein-durchschaubares-bauernopfer-a-a8993084-b6e3-42fe-94d2-daef7fecb3f9 . 2024-11-29 . live.
  39. News: Kulessa . David . Tausche . Nadja . "D-Day"-Plan der FDP: Lindner distanziert sich von Strategiepapier . FDP's "D-Day" plan: Lindner distances himself from strategy paper . Süddeutsche.de . 29 November 2024 . de . https://web.archive.org/web/20241130012135/https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/fdp-ruecktritt-d-day-reaktionen-lindner-djir-sarai-spd-miersch-scholz-lux.WStdjWSedGxxMazh8qQ9Tn . 2024-11-30 . live.
  40. News: Former justice minister to lead Germany's free-market FDP . Yahoo News . DPA . 1 December 2024.
  41. Web site: SPD in Düsseldorf: Andreas Rimkus kandidiert nicht mehr für den Bundestag. Alexander Esch . 16 February 2024 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240330115126/https://rp-online.de/nrw/staedte/duesseldorf/spd-in-duesseldorf-andreas-rimkus-kandidiert-nicht-mehr_aid-107160959 . 2024-03-30 . live.
  42. Web site: Ex-Verkehrsminister Ramsauer (CSU) will 2025 nicht mehr für Bundestag kandidieren . Alexander Kain . 8 February 2024 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240208035126/https://www.pnp.de/nachrichten/bayern/ramsauer-ich-werde-kein-weiteres-mal-mehr-antreten-15390416 . 2024-02-08 . live.
  43. Web site: "Es ist Zeit, um Platz für Jüngere zu machen": Renate Künast kündigt Rückzug aus der aktiven Politik an . Felix Hackenbruch . 8 July 2024 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240708165034/https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/es-ist-zeit-um-platz-fur-jungere-zu-machen-renate-kunast-kundigt-ruckzug-aus-der-aktiven-politik-an-11982467.html . 2024-07-08 . live.
  44. Web site: SPD-Staatssekretär tritt nicht mehr an: Niels Annen zieht sich aus der Politik zurück . Markus Arndt . 30 June 2024 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240630122225/https://www.bild.de/regional/hamburg/spd-staatssekretaer-niels-annen-zieht-sich-aus-der-politik-zurueck-66812f0ca43a2d54d46cf592 . 2024-06-30 . live.
  45. Web site: Bremer SPD-Politikerin kündigt Rückzug aus dem Bundestag an . Maren Schubart . 9 July 2024 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240709153215/https://www.butenunbinnen.de/nachrichten/ryglewski-spd-rueckzug-bremen-berlin-100.html . 2024-07-09 . live.
  46. Web site: CDU: Annette Widmann-Mauz, Chefin der Frauen-Union, macht Schluss . Robert Roßmann . 19 July 2024 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240720011244/https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/yvonne-magwas-annette-widmann-mauz-frauenunion-frauen-union-cdu-bundestag-frauenquote-lux.GBFVgkeNZoKAV9qzheQLTi . 2024-07-20 . live.
  47. Web site: Bundestagsvizepräsidentin Magwas aus Sachsen zieht sich aus Politik zurück . Ulrich Wolf . 19 July 2024 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240719133121/https://www.saechsische.de/politik/saechsische-bundestagsvizepraesidentin-magwas-von-der-cdu-kandidiert-nicht-mehr-6024513.html . 2024-07-19 . live.
  48. Web site: Überraschende Ankündigung – CDU-Politikerin Nadine Schön verlässt 2025 den Bundestag . Daniel Kirch . 8 July 2024 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240709012235/https://www.saarbruecker-zeitung.de/saarland/landespolitik/cdu-im-saarland-nadine-schoen-verlaesst-den-bundestag_aid-115856667 . 2024-07-09 . live.
  49. Web site: Mehr Zeit für "Franz": Michelle Müntefering zieht sich aus dem Bundestag zurück . Daniel Friedrich Sturm . 11 June 2024 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240611075505/https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/mehr-zeit-fur-franz-michelle-muntefering-zieht-sich-aus-dem-bundestag-zuruck-11800751.html . 2024-06-11 . live.
  50. Web site: Markus Grübel: Im nächsten Bundestag nicht mehr dabei . Sylvia Gierlichs . 16 September 2023 . Nürtinger Zeitung . https://web.archive.org/web/20230923063954/https://www.ntz.de/region/artikel_markus-gruebel-im-naechsten-bundestag-nicht-mehr-dabei.html . 2023-09-23 . live.
  51. Web site: Rückzug aus Bundespolitik: Andreas Scheuer tritt nicht mehr an . Konstantin König . 29 January 2024 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240129114419/https://www.br.de/nachrichten/bayern/rueckzug-aus-bundespolitik-andreas-scheuer-tritt-nicht-mehr-an,U2k57bH . 2024-01-29 . live.
  52. Web site: "Zeit, zu neuen Ufern aufzubrechen": Grüner Forschungspolitiker Gehring kündigt Rückzug aus Bundestag an . Felix Hackenbruch . 13 June 2024 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240613100745/https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/zeit-zu-neuen-ufern-aufzubrechen-gruner-forschungspolitiker-gehring-kundigt-ruckzug-an-11819270.html . 2024-06-13 . live.
  53. Web site: Nach 20 Jahren: SPD-Bundestagsabgeordneter Sönke Rix aus Eckernförde hört auf . Gernot Kühl . 4 March 2024 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240304123635/https://www.shz.de/lokales/eckernfoerde/artikel/eckernfoerder-bundestagsabgeordneter-soenke-rix-steigt-aus-46578692 . 2024-03-04 . live.
  54. Web site: Warum sich Manuela Rottmann aus der Politik zurückziehen will . Mechthild Harting . 1 May 2024 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240501170439/https://www.faz.net/aktuell/rhein-main/frankfurt/ex-ob-kandidatin-der-gruenen-in-frankfurt-warum-sich-manuela-rottmann-aus-der-politik-zurueckziehen-will-19691514.html . 2024-05-01 . live.
  55. Web site: l Für Siegen-Wittgenstein im Bundestag: Volkmar Klein kandidiert nicht mehr . Hendrik Schulz . 26 July 2023 . Westfalenpost . https://web.archive.org/web/20230726135842/https://www.wp.de/staedte/siegerland/siegen-volkmar-klein-kandiert-nicht-mehr-fuer-den-bundestag-id239026957.html . 2023-07-26 . live.
  56. Web site: Abschied aus dem Parlament: Diese Abgeordneten gehen vor der Bundestagswahl freiwillig . Daniel Friedrich Sturm . 18 March 2024 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240318093551/https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/abschied-aus-dem-parlament-diese-abgeordneten-gehen-vor-der-bundestagswahl-freiwillig-11377981.html . 2024-03-18 . live.
  57. Web site: FDP-Bundestagsabgeordneter Christoph Hoffmann tritt nicht mehr an . 8 July 2024 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240709071531/https://www.badische-zeitung.de/fdp-bundestagsabgeordneter-christoph-hoffmann-tritt-nicht-mehr-an . 2024-07-09 . live.
  58. Web site: Fast 35 Jahre als Abgeordnete: Warum frühere SPD-Landeschefin Katrin Budde ihre politische Karriere beendet . Hagen Eichler . 5 July 2024 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240705131600/https://www.mz.de/mitteldeutschland/sachsen-anhalt/katrin-bude-spd-politikerin-sachsen-anhalt-karriere-aus-3876332 . 2024-07-05 . live.
  59. Web site: MdB zieht Schlussstrich: Dietmar Nietans Finale im Bundestag . Volker Uerlings . 20 March 2024 . Dürener Zeitung . https://web.archive.org/web/20240320200830/https://www.aachener-zeitung.de/lokales/region-dueren/dueren/dietmar-nietans-finale-im-bundestag/9518161.html . 2024-03-20 . live.
  60. Web site: Bundestagswahl: SPD Gladbeck legt bei Kandidatenkür vor . Matthias Düngelhoff . 13 April 2024 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240415055419/https://www.waz.de/staedte/gladbeck/article242090182/Bundestagswahl-SPD-Gladbeck-legt-bei-Kandidatenkuer-vor.html . 2024-04-15 . live.
  61. Web site: Grüne: Tabea Rößner kündigt Abschied aus der Politik an . Vivien Timmler . 11 July 2024 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240711150405/https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/tabea-roessner-hoert-auf-gruene-rheinland-pfalz-lux.BjoaHkB6iwqmgvwYo8vLLc . 2024-07-11 . live.
  62. Web site: Erwin Rüddel fährt langsam runter: Abgeordneter freut sich auf die Zeit nach der politischen Karriere . Daniel Rühle . 8 May 2022 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20220509234746/https://www.rhein-zeitung.de/region/aus-den-lokalredaktionen/kreis-neuwied_artikel,-erwin-rueddel-faehrt-langsam-runter-abgeordneter-freut-sich-auf-die-zeit-nach-der-politischen-karriere-_arid,2404347.html . 2022-05-09 . live.
  63. Web site: l SPD im Kreis Göppingen: Heike Baehrens tritt nicht wieder an . Helge Thiele . 15 April 2024 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240415183536/https://www.swp.de/lokales/goeppingen/spd-im-kreis-goeppingen-heike-baehrens-tritt-nicht-wieder-an-73572197.html . 2024-04-15 . live.
  64. News: Abschied aus der Politik: Roth macht Schluss . Anna Lehmann . 26 March 2024 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240328061722/https://taz.de/Abschied-aus-der-Politik/!6000830/ . 2024-03-28 . live.
  65. Web site: SPD: Thomas Hitschler kandidiert nicht mehr für Bundestag . Sabine Schilling . 6 December 2023 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20231206195652/https://www.rheinpfalz.de/lokal/landau_artikel,-spd-thomas-hitschler-kandidiert-nicht-mehr-f%C3%BCr-bundestag-_arid,5586653.html . 2023-12-06 . live.
  66. Web site: Abgeordnete für Nordfriesland: Astrid Damerow (CDU) kandidiert nicht bei Bundestagswahl . Jonna Marlin Lausen . 26 April 2024 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240426132709/https://www.shz.de/lokales/husum/artikel/astrid-damerow-kandidiert-nicht-zur-bundestagswahl-2025-46902050 . 2024-04-26 . live.
  67. Web site: Landau Grünen-Politiker Tobias Lindner kandidiert nicht mehr . Winfried Folz . 16 July 2024 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240716205809/https://www.rheinpfalz.de/lokal/pfalz-ticker_artikel,-gr%C3%BCnen-politiker-tobias-lindner-kandidiert-nicht-mehr-_arid,5671196.html . 2024-07-16 . live.
  68. Web site: Nun auch Paukenschlag in der SPD: Martin Rosemann tritt auch nicht mehr als Bundestagskandidat an . Klaus Irion . 19 July 2024 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240720181024/https://www.schwaebische.de/regional/zollernalb/martin-rosemann-tritt-auch-nicht-mehr-als-bundestagskandidat-an-2717136 . 2024-07-20 . live.
  69. Web site: "Gleichberechtigte Elternschaft und Spitzenpolitik sind nicht vereinbar": Kindler zieht sich aus Bundestag zurück . Martina Herzog . 9 April 2024 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240409184603/https://www.haz.de/lokales/hannover/gruenen-politiker-sven-christian-kindler-aus-hannover-verlaesst-den-bundestag-3FHTEEOK5VHR5HPFET772XZAHU.html . 2024-04-09 . live.
  70. Web site: Bundestagsnominierung der CDU: Nachfolger für Grundmann gesucht . Johannes Heeg . 5 April 2024 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240405071415/https://www.weser-kurier.de/landkreis-rotenburg/politik/bundestagsnominierung-oliver-grundmann-cdu-will-nicht-mehr-doc7upm1dw6esj1cde3572f . 2024-04-05 . live.
  71. Web site: Entscheidung steht: Maria Klein-Schmeink hört im Bundestag auf . Dirk Anger . 1 March 2024 . Münstersche Zeitung . https://web.archive.org/web/20240303122925/https://www.muensterschezeitung.de/lokales/staedte/muenster/maria-klein-schmeink-hoert-auf-gruene-bundestagswahl-2025-kandidaten-2930484 . 2024-03-03 . live.
  72. Web site: Dagmar Andres schafft Klarheit: SPD-Abgeordnete aus Rhein-Erft will 2025 nicht mehr in den Bundestag . Jörn Tüffers . 24 April 2024 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240424210417/https://www.ksta.de/region/rhein-erft/spd-abgeordnete-dagmar-andres-aus-rhein-erft-will-2025-nicht-mehr-in-den-bundestag-782298 . 2024-04-24 . live.
  73. Web site: CDU-Bundestagsabgeordneter: Michael Grosse-Brömer tritt nicht wieder an . Oliver Sander . 22 April 2024 . Kreiszeitung Wochenblatt . https://web.archive.org/web/20240505135634/https://www.kreiszeitung-wochenblatt.de/hanstedt/c-politik/michael-grosse-broemer-tritt-nicht-wieder-an_a317071 . 2024-05-05 . live.
  74. Web site: Hermann Gröhe (CDU) verzichtet auf weitere Bundestags-Kandidatur: "Drei Jahrzehnte im Parlament sind die größte Ehre meines Lebens" . Christoph Kleinau . 23 July 2024 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240724014349/https://rp-online.de/nrw/staedte/neuss/neuss-hermann-groehe-cdu-kuendigt-abschied-aus-bundespolitik-an_aid-116408107 . 2024-07-24 . live.
  75. Web site: SPD-Abgeordneter Udo Schiefner tritt nicht mehr an . 31 July 2024 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240804134148/https://rp-online.de/nrw/staedte/kempen/kreis-viersen-spd-abgeordneter-udo-schiefner-tritt-nicht-mehr-an_aid-117053231 . 2024-08-04 . live.
  76. Web site: Nach 31 Jahren ist Schluss: MdB Max Straubinger (CSU) kandidiert nicht mehr für den Bundestag . Markus Schön . 27 January 2024 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240127065233/https://www.pnp.de/lokales/landkreis-rottal-inn/mdb-max-straubinger-csu-kandidiert-mehr-fuer-den-bundestag-15302819 . 2024-01-27 . live.
  77. Web site: Hildesheimer SPD-Abgeordneter Bernd Westphal will nicht wieder in den Bundestag . Björn Stöckemann . 11 July 2024 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240715044826/https://www.hildesheimer-allgemeine.de/meldung/spd-abgeordneter-bernd-westphal-will-nicht-wieder-in-den-bundestag.html . 2024-07-15 . live.
  78. Web site: Politik: Walter-Rosenheimer tritt nicht mehr an . 23 February 2024 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240225212642/https://www.sueddeutsche.de/muenchen/fuerstenfeldbruck/fuerstenfeldbruck-dachau-beate-walter-rosenheimer-verzicht-auf-kandidatur-1.6389183 . 2024-02-25 . live.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "2025 German federal election".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2025, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.