Who is who and why this vote is important

German voters decide on February 23 who will rule their next government, as the conservative conservative Christian Democrats of Friedrich Mertz is the largest party in power.

Control of immigration and revival of the biggest economy of the European Union are the main problems of this SNAP election caused by collapse of the Coalition of Chancellor of the Central Left Olaf Skolz At the end of last year.

We appreciate what and who you should know before the vote on the next Parliament of Germany, The Bundestag.

These elections are held against the backdrop of a series of deadly attacks that increase the pressure on major parties to reform the rules of immigration and asylum.

The Germans have already been trying for four fatal attacks in Mannheim, Solingen, Magdeburg and Afshafenburg, when a mother and her two -year -old daughter were fatally injured in the attack of cars in Munich, allegedly by Afghan citizen, 10 days earlier.

These attacks have strengthened the support for the far right alternative to Germany (AFD).

Although no other party is ready to release AFD in the government, if they turn second and attract 20% of the vote, they could double the number of their places in the Bundestag.

Germany is also the biggest economy in Europe and after two years of decline, the burden of the next government to turn it and revive the German industry. Germany is affected by high energy prices and hard Chinese competition.

The Germans at 18 and more will decide on their next parliament from 08: 00-18: 00 on February 23.

There are five candidates for Chancellor.

If the biggest party can provide a coalition deal with one or two other parties, the president will usually define his leader as chancellor. Then Parliament will hold a secret vote to decide.

Frontrunner in the German Management Race is Friedrich MerzWhose Christian Democrats (CDU) are up to 10 points ahead in the ballot box. He was elected candidate as Chancellor in front of Marcus Soder, their sister’s leader in Bavaria, the Christian Social Union.

At an altitude of 69 and 198 cm (6 feet 6 inches), Merz is a simple speaker, pro-business, social conservative who spent years waiting for the wings.

Dublished in the UDF by Angela Merkel in 2002, he ultimately left politics, served in investment banks’ advice and set about flying as a pilot of lovers.

Merz’s first two offers, which won the CDU leadership, failed Merkel in 2018 and then Armmin Lasset, who continued to lose the German elections in 2021.

Then Merz took over the CPS and worked under the slogan “Germany, which we can be proud of again”.

He promised constant border control and faster asylum rules to restrict immigration and reduce taxes and reduce 50 billion euros in the cost of well -being in an attempt to launch the heated German economy. He also promised to strengthen the help for Ukraine.

But he sparked a fierce response before the election, when he strives to tighten the rules of immigration by relying on the voices of the far -right AFD and ultimately failed.

Although Mertz has excluded, working with AFD, former CPS Chancellor Angela Merkel said he was “wrong” to accept AFD’s votes and faced major protests.

He also promised more leadership than Germany in Europe and supports support for Ukraine, refusing to rule out future NATO membership.

Olaf Scholz He has already served for more than three years as a chancellor, headed by an unpopular coalition, which fell apart to loosen the strict rules for the debt of Germany.

His government has been fighting from the beginning, to a large extent because of the effect of Russia’s full -scale war in Ukraine for the German economy.

Germany became Ukraine’s largest assistant in Europe. Scholz talks about a Intensely (Turning point) to increase German defense policy and military spending – but it was accused of activity too slowly or too late. He now promises European support for Ukraine “as long as it is necessary” and rejects the idea of ​​every dictated peace.

Scholz supported the more faster deportation of failed asylum seekers, and his government resolved border checks that, in his opinion, have downloaded asylum requests by one -third in a year.

Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD) want to create a “German Fund” to increase investment and to raise the minimum wage to 15 euros (£ 12.50) per hour of 12.82 euros.

Many of the party believed that it had to allow the party counterpart Boris Pistorie to run for Chancellor instead.

However, the party joined the conservatives in the past, and although Scholz said he could no longer trust Mertz, the Social Democrats remain potential partners.

Alice Weidel46, is the first candidate for AFD’s chancellor, as the party was established in 2013. It also delayed the support of billionaire Elon Musk and was rewarded with a meeting with US Vice President JD Vance during his visit to Munich.

Weidel has a little chance to win power, but it has become popular with young Tiktok voters and her party has focused its eyes for four years.

Jointly led by Tino Krupala, AFD has already secured a recent victory, in the September state elections in the Tourings to the east.

Elon Musk said the former Goldman Sachs analyst cannot be an extremist of the right wing, as “has a single -sex partner from Sri Lanka”.

Nevertheless, she supported the mass deportation of migrants, covering the highly controversial term “remigination” – which she defines as deportation of criminals and “illegal” migrants.

She also wants to end the sanctions against Russia by repairing the gas pipelines of the destroyed gas pipelines of Nord Stream; And she wants to demolish the wind turbines she calls “windmills of shame,” although they now provide a quarter of Germany’s electricity.

Party’s supporters cheered her with the slogan Alice for Germany (Alice for Germany) that sounds like a forbidden Nazi slogan Everything For Germany.

Robert Habek The Greens played a key role in the Scholz government as Deputy Chancellor and Minister of Economy.

But one of its leading policies, gradually for the heating of fossil fuels in Germany, had to be soaked and lead to diving in the ratings of government polls. He rejects any return to nuclear energy and calls for more accessible renewable energy, which by the end of last year supplies 63.4% of the needs of electricity in Germany.

The 55 -year -old Habek took a strong line of help for Ukraine, and he forcibly criticized Friedrich Merz for reading AFD voices in parliament.

Relations with Friedrich Mertz are uncomfortable after he accused the CDU leader of disqualifying himself as Chancellor, but the Greens could still return to the government.

Like Alice Widel’s AFD, Sahra Wagenknecht and her BSW party back to a closer relations with Russia and built a strong support base in East Germany.

Wagenknecht calls his policy “Leave Conservatives” and presents himself as an alternative to AFD, supporting strict restrictions on asylum and immigration.

She shares AFD’s opposition against German military support for Ukraine and has been accused of Kremlin’s parrot stories about war.

But it can struggle to reach the 5% national threshold to enter parliament.

The Bundestag election is usually held every four years – it was proposed on September 28, 2025, but was presented because of the collapse of the Scholz government.

Over 18 receive two votes.

One is to choose Bundestag members directly in 299 constituencies. The second is to choose a political party in one of the 16 countries you live in.

Each country that wins 5% of this second vote is allowed to enter the Bundestag and then they use their state lists to choose their deputies.

The complex voting rules, which mean the output parliament had 733 seats have already been removed. This means that the next Bundestag in Germany will have a total of 630 seats – a decrease of over 100 seats.

However, one of the old rules will remain. Any country that fails to question 5% of the vote can still enter if it wins in three of 299 constituencies.

CDU and CSU conservative parties are favorite to win the most places, but by excluding a coalition with AFD Merz, their capabilities of potential partners in the government narrow.

This makes a deal most likely with one or both SPDs and the Greens.

Many SPDs are reluctant to work with Merz after the migration order, but the so -called large coalition of the two parties is considered possible.